


Over the Phone

by tvmoviemaniac



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Anxiety, Awkwardness, Bisexual Male Character, Bisexuality, College AU, Depression, First Time, Homophobia, Loneliness, M/M, Mention of abuse, Sexual Content, Teen Romance, alternative universe, rhink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-16
Updated: 2017-02-12
Packaged: 2018-09-09 01:41:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 28,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8870836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tvmoviemaniac/pseuds/tvmoviemaniac
Summary: Link Neal, a sophomore in college, finds a remedy to his existential problems and depression in an unlikely relationship he forms over the phone with a stranger -Rhett McLaughlin





	1. Chapter 1

Over at Parkers State University campus it was not uncommon for students staying at the dormitories to call each other from their room phones.  
Not their friends but complete strangers.  
Because everyone knew that college life could get tough and once in a while you feel the need to talk to a complete stranger about your problems.  
Dialling a random set of numbers was enough. Then, it was just hoping that someone would pick up.  
The receiver end would listen attentively as they knew if they ever need someone to talk to they could also call a random person and get the same treatment. 

Link Neal was a sophomore living the perfect college life.  
He loved the subject he was studying –and always got good grades–, had people he loved who loved him back, enjoyed hanging out with said people and didn’t have to worry about money –at least not at the moment. – 

But he was not happy.

He was trying to be happy… He knew he was lucky to have such a way of living and yet it always felt empty.  
When you are a perfect boy with a perfect life, nobody wants to hear you complain about anything. So he never did. He never complained; not to his friends or his parents or his ex-girlfriend –who had broken up with him just a week ago. – 

Lately, he could feel his desperation reaching its limit. As if being away from his home, his girlfriend leaving him and feeling useless overall wasn’t enough; the finals week was approaching and it was stressing him out even more.

Upon arriving from his last class of the day, the sight of his desolated dorm room reminded him that both of his roommates were out of town for the weekend. He was close with his roommates and he could use someone to talk to right now —about anything really—  
He desperately needed a distraction, something to occupy his mind, or maybe a way to release all this anger and sadness inside of him. 

He decided to try and relax. Lighting scented candles had always calmed him down. However he had been refraining from doing so as his roommates would make fun of him for being “too feminine”. He didn’t see any problems at being to feminine but still, having the people you live with make fun of you is not a good feeling. That’s why he had stored away his candles.

But today he was alone and feeling like death (whatever that meant) so he dug out his favourite scented candle –sandal wood-, made himself some hot cocoa and lied down in the yellow armchair next to his desk.

It was quiet in the room and soon the sound of silence began to drown him. His problems and worries were beginning to mount over him and he was now in a desperate need of company.

He needed a way to fill this emptiness inside of him.

That seemed like a lot of work, which he didn’t have the energy to even think about, so he decided to do the next best thing: call a stranger. He had never done that himself but he had listened to strangers’ problems before and always though the experience had helped the caller in one way or another.  
He was feeling lonely and desperate so giving it a shot wouldn’t hurt.

He dialled a number he knew would be of a room from one of the dormitories on the other side of the campus.  
No one picked up.

He tried another one, not thinking about which building it will be from.  


A small voice answered.

“Hello?”

Suddenly Link was in a loss of words.

“Is this some sort of prank call? Ha ha Sam you are so funny!”

And with that the phone line was dead once more.

Silently cursing himself for being so awkward he dialled another set of numbers.  
This time a man answered and after hearing Link’s reason for calling he said he didn’t have the time right now and hung up.

Link was glad that he had found something to busy his mind with but he was also slowly loosing hope. All these rejections had just driven him over to a deeper, depressing state and he could feel it showing itself with small tears around his blue eyes. 

He dialled yet another number.

The voice that answered was hoarse, like he had just woken up.

“Hello?”

“Please don’t hang up”

Link was surprised at how desperate he sounded, and a bit embarrassed; but he was barely holding back tears now so he didn’t really care.

After maybe a minute, it felt like hours to Link, a weak “Okay” was heard from the other end.

Link exhaled, noticing just now that he had been holding his breath.

“Look man, I’m having a really bad day, or maybe just a really bleak and empty life, and I just need someone to talk to. Okay?”

The other man chuckled softly, helping Link calm down as well.

“I’ve already said okay dude! Go ahead, I’m all ears”

This made Link feel bad suddenly, for snapping out like that. However, the receiver end didn’t seem to mind so he let it go.

“Well, uhmmm, I don’t really know where to start”

This was weird.

It was true that he had never called a stranger to talk about his personal life before but he had talked to other callers. Also he was not bad at meeting new people and having a conversation with them —even though he knew he would never see them again once the semester ends.—

Still, this one felt different somehow. 

He couldn’t understand it himself but the man’s voice was enough to sooth him and made him feel a bit more at ease.

“You are the one who called and woke me up from my nap so you should be the one to know what to talk about”

Even though the words themselves were harsh his voice wasn’t. Link could feel the smile on the other mans face as he spoke these words.

“You’re right about that. Sorry to wake you up, it’s just that my girlfriend just broke up with me and...”

Before Link could finish his sentence the other man spoke again

“Oh, so it’s a girl problem”

He sounded amused and annoyed at the same time, which confused Link.

“Well, not really. It’s more like, it played as the last straw, you know?”

“uh-huh”

“I mean, I guess I have a pretty nice life. Studying my dream major, having friends and all. But it just feels all wrong and meaningless, you know?”

He waited for some kind of answer. Upon receiving none he continued:

“Maybe it has something to do with college. I mean, back in high school I had a pretty fixed schedule. There were no surprises or anything. Just, order. I think I liked that a bit too much. Without some kind of order I feel lost and anxious.”

Saying these out loud made Links stomach turn. He had never talked about it before, not to anyone. His ex-girlfriend used to try and talk to him about the things that were bothering him but he would just keep his distance. Maybe that was the reason she left.

“You probably think that’s weird.” Link mumbled, ready to take all the things he had said back.

“Nah, not really. It’s perfectly normal for you to feel like this. I mean I consider myself to be a pretty spontaneous and impulsive guy but sometimes even I feel like I need some constant. Or maybe just someone to be my touchstone.”

“Touchstone” Link said at the same time as the other man.

Sensing an awkward silent coming up he quickly added “X-Files”

“Yeah, like Mulder and Scully! That’s exactly what I meant!”

“Dude you like X-Files too?”

“Like it? More like love it!”

From then onward they talked about things that had nothing to do with Link’s problems. Like tv-shows and conspiracy theories. As soon as the word conspiracy was mentioned, the man on the phone had cheered up significantly and started discussing weird theories with Link.

Link didn’t mind. He was so caught up in the conversation that he had completely forgotten about the things that were bothering him earlier.  
But every good thing has an end.

“Oh crap, it’s already past midnight and I need to get up early tomorrow morning!” the man on the phone suddenly realised, making Link return to reality.

“But tomorrow’s Saturday, do you have an extra class or something?”

“Basketball practise” the man replied.

“Oh” was all Link could say. He wasn’t going to admit he was sorry to be saying goodbye just yet.

“Anyways, hope I could be of a little help! And sorry if I bored you with all my weird theories.”

“Oh no, not at all. I really enjoyed it, thanks!”

“Uhmm, well, it was nice talking to you. Goodnight!”

“Goodnight!” Link replied and then the line was dead again.

He slowly put down the phone, blew out the candle, took his –now cold– hot cocoa to the desk near the door and slipped out of his clothes.  
They had talked for an hour and a half, which was a lot more than he had anticipated. Also he was feeling a lot better now.  
He couldn’t stop thinking about how easy it was to talk to him. It felt like as if they had been friends forever. He was already missing his soft but husky voice. 

It was only after Link had turned off the light and buried himself into his bed that he realised: he didn’t even know the mans name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not exactly sure about when I'll upload the next chapter but I am hoping it will be soon!
> 
> Until then, hope you've enjoyed this -kind of an introduction- chapter ^_^


	2. Chapter 2

Link woke up at 8 a.m. the next morning.  
He didn’t know why he was up that early, as he had literally nothing to do that day and could definitely use a mental day off.  
As much as the idea of staying in bed all day staring at the ceiling sounded perfect, his body had other plans.  
He desperately needed to pee and also the growls coming from his empty stomach was enough to scare off wild animals.

While he was putting on his clothes —a flannel shirt and skinny jeans— he thought about the man he talked on the phone last night and how good it felt. Just thinking about it again made his stomach hurt -although he couldn’t be sure if that was from a type of contentment mixed with anxiety or just hunger.

Still, the face he saw in the mirror as he was brushing his teeth was enough to bring the uneasiness back.  
It looked unfamiliar. He could see the weariness in the lines on the face and hopelessness in the eyes.

He needed breakfast.

Chilly but still with a bit of sunshine, the weather looked nice. He could use some fresh air as well. There was this little café right around the social sciences building that he heard had some great coffee and croissants.

The few beams of sunshine warmed up his face while the chilly morning air threatened to freeze his nose off.  
He didn’t even realise that he would be walking right past the training court on his way to breakfast until he was practically watching the basketball practise that was happening.  
Was he unconsciously trying to single out the man he confided in last night? Surely not. This was just a coincidence. He didn’t choose this path on purpose, right?  
He just needed something to eat.  
Feeling out-of-place standing in the middle of the road, staring at bunch of men in shorts —weren’t they freezing?— playing basketball, he continued his journey to the café.

His day would consist of analysing the conversation he had last night over and over again, reading the assigned text for his class on Wednesday and waiting for the sun to go down.

He had decided to call him again.

He might have not known his name but he knew his room/phone number.

When it was 7 o’clock, Link was sat at his yellow armchair staring at the phone.  
Why was he this anxious? It wasn’t like he was going to ask someone out or anything. He was just calling a person to chat, that’s it.  
But what if he wouldn’t remember Link?  
What if it was a one time thing and Link made it out to be a bigger thing then it was, as he did in most cases?

Sometimes he just wanted to disappear and this moment was one of those. However, he also craved the feeling he got when he was talking with him. Therefore, this time he didn’t let his demons take over and he made the call.

Nobody picked up.

Of course.  
It was a Saturday night and Link was trying to call a jock, assuming he would be in his room…  
He couldn’t believe how dumb he was – and also wondered why he didn’t have any plans that night. He wasn’t that antisocial, was he?

For some reason he couldn’t wait until the school week started again.

On Monday, his roommates were back, he had taken a quiz in the afternoon that went well, and was going out for dinner with a friend of his in the evening.  
That was until his friend called to say that he couldn’t make it.  
It was okay. Now that his roommates were back they could play video games or something.  
However, they both had quizzes the next couple of days so they left to go to the library. They had invited Link too but he wasn’t feeling like studying.

Finding himself alone in his room once again, he picked up the phone. This time he didn’t think about it much and just dialled the now memorised numbers.  
A familiar voice answered

“Hello?”

“Umm, hi, I am the person that called you a few days ago”

“Oooh… ah, yes the one with the existential problems and love for X-Files”

So he _did_ remember Link.

“Yeap, that’s the one”

There was a silence for a moment, which made Link nervous again.

“So, uhmm, what’s up?”

Link was glad the other man was the one to break the silence.

“Good, yeah. I’ve been trying not to dwell on the futility of this mess that we call life and enjoy some fresh air instead.”

This made the man laugh. Which, in return, made Link laugh too.

“So how have you been?” Link asked this time.

“Good, good. The practise I told you about went well. The coach is kinda pushing our limits by making us work out outside in the cold whether but we know he means well.”

So he _was_ in the court that day when Link was watching the team practise.

“Uhmm, yeah, by the way, I realised something.”

Link knew how foolish he sounded but the words were out of his mouth before he could think it through.

“Yeah, what?”

“I realised that we don’t even know each others names.”

Link hoped that he wasn’t being too awkward or anything. God, why was he so nervous anyway?

“Yea, you’re right. You are still a ‘stranger’ to me.” the man concurred with a soft laugh.

“Sooo, I’m Link. Well, actually Lincoln but everyone calls me Link.” he mumbled, squeezing his eyes shot for no apparent reason.

“Well, hello ‘actually Lincoln but everyone calls me Link’, I’m Rhett.”

The man, Rhett, started laughing like ha had just made the world’s funniest joke. His laugh was like music and filled Link’s body and soul with joy. He realised that he could easily become addicted to this laugh.

Trying to sound sarcastic, while actually laughing, he said

“That was so stupid! I can’t believe people will actually hang out with you and your dad jokes.”

Between his bursts of laughter Rhett answered

“Okay, but it must be charming enough that made you call me back”

Link couldn’t argue with that but he wasn’t going to confirm it either.  
So he just called him a jerk, which made both of them laugh even more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realised that i am not that good at writing dialogue :s
> 
> But anyways, thank you SO much for reading!  
> I would love to hear your opinions about it :3


	3. Chapter 3

For the next two weeks Link talked with Rhett every night before going to bed.They would usually call each other around 10 pm and talk until midnight.They got to know each other pretty well.

Rhett was an engineering undergrad who had to choose this major because his parents wanted him to have a “real job that pays” and Link felt sorry for him.

All the while, Rhett was highly interested in Link’s literature classes and usually expressed how he’d love to study the same major as Link.

Link wasn’t bold enough to say that he would love to be able to see him everyday and study with him.

However, Link could tell that Rhett wasn’t such a fan of studying.

Whenever Link gave homework as an excuse to hung up the phone earlier than usual or calling later than usual, Rhett would just grunt and try to change the subject. Rhett was a confident person who was also lazy. However, he managed to get decent grades. The thing Link liked about it was that Rhett never rubbed this on his face. He knew Link liked to be organised and needed to feel satisfied about his studying in order to get good grades –unlike him, who found cramming the night before sufficient. Yet, he never made fun of Link or whatever.

In fact, Rhett wishing him good luck before a test had became some sort of a totem for him.

 

While his nights were reserved for long conversations with Rhett over the phone, his days were spent daydreaming about meeting him. He kept trying to visualize him but failed miserably every time. His voice was so warm and his laugh was so enormous, Link couldn’t determine what a person like him would look like. He had asked Rhett to describe himself one time, but in return only got a sarcastic answer: “Like the man of your dreams”

The truth was, Link wasn’t able to give a name to their relationship. Were they friends? Best friends? More than friends? The last option never failed to send a chill through his spine.

He couldn’t deny the occasional flirting between them but surely it was just in Link’s head.

First of all, he wasn’t gay.

And for all he knew, neither was Rhett.

They had both talked about their ex-girlfriends (not that they had many. Link only ever dated 2 people and Rhett had only ever mentioned a girl called Amber from high school) but they rarely ever talked about “romantic relationships” anyways.

Link convinced himself that the things he felt for Rhett were merely in a friendly way and even if it were something more, it would just be platonic.  
Both of them were fairly social but didn’t have a best friend. So maybe that was it: Link had found a best friend.

He didn’t have the guts to ask to meet him in person. He was the first one to call after all and he definitely didn’t want to seem clingy.

Thankfully, Rhett came forward first.

“I want to see you.”

The words were simple, but powerful enough to knock the breath out of Link’s body.

He took his time before answering:

“When?”

Apparently this was not exactly the answer Rhett anticipated as he started stuttering nonsensically which made Link chuckle in return.

“I can’t understand you bo”

It had come out automatically, without letting Link think about the consequences.

“Bo?”

Rhett asked with a slightly high pitch noise, which was unusual for him.

“Uhmm, yeah.”

Silence.

“That’s something friends used to call each other back where I’m from. Like dude, or man, you know.”

Further silence.

Link was getting more anxious with every passing second. Did he just ruin the best thing that had happened to him? He’d been too outright and had bitten more than he could chew -as usual.

He could feel the breath stuck behind his throat and the sweat accumulating inside his palms.

“Bo” Rhett repeated, “I like it.”

A huge weight was lifted off of Link. He started smiling like an idiot –which, apparently, the other man could sense.

Now with more confidence in his voice Rhett added:

“How about tomorrow morning. I know you don’t have class until 1 pm and even though I am not a morning person I can’t see you soon enough.”

The excitement and happiness Link was feeling at that moment was enough to make him forget how to talk. He could only get a confirming “uh-huh” sound out.

“Okay, it’s a date then.”

_A date_

Link was unusually overwhelmed and ended up half shouting

“Yeap, works for me!”

“Would 10 be too late?” Rhett asked

“Nah, it’s perfect! How about that café right next to the social sciences building? They make some mean pancakes!”

Link had given up on trying to hide his excitement.

“Great! See you then bo”

Rhett said, making the endearment sound so natural that it made Link’s heart skip a beat.

“I can’t wait.” Link managed to add before hanging up the phone.

 

That night, Link would have trouble sleeping for the first time in a long time.


	4. Chapter 4

After an uncharacteristically sleepless night, Link was up at 7 am.  
He took a shower, brushed his teeth and made his hair. He liked styling his hair; and that morning, he was being more meticulous than normal.  
He could feel his heart beating in his chest, a lot faster than usual, as if trying to jump out of his body. His roommates were still asleep so he tried not to make too much noise. However, being the clumsy person he is, he knocked over several empty cans and managed to slam the doors of his wardrobe after taking out possible shirts to wear. He apologised a million times to the sound of his roommates’ grumblings and made his way to the bathroom once more.

He couldn’t decide on what to wear.

He usually wore very tight jeans –and was even guilty of buying women’s jeans just because he couldn’t find men’s jeans that were tight enough for his liking- but he feared Rhett might point that out. He wanted their first meeting to be perfect and was determined not to ruin it with the way he dressed.

After considerable time in front of the mirror putting one shirt on his chest after another trying to find the perfect one and reflecting on their conversations so far in the process, he decided Rhett wasn’t the type of person to make fun of his appearance. Yes, he did make some inappropriate comments or jokes time to time but they were obviously meant to tease Link and were not sincere.

He ended up wearing his usual dark-blue jeans and a t-shirt with a geometrical-wolf-shape on it. However, it was cold outside so he also put on a light blue cardigan.

He had been rehearsing their first in-real-life conversation in his mind for days now, and it was finally happening. He smiled at himself in the mirror, trying to seem less anxious and puffed up his chest in order to look more confident. He wondered what Rhett would look like.

Then it hit him.

How were they suppose to recognise each other?

They have only vaguely mentioned their appearances and as neither of them would be yelling the other ones name like a lunatic, there was really no way of knowing.

It was still only 9am so Rhett should have been in his room.  
Link rushed to his room phone and dialled the number he had been dialling for a month now.  
As soon as the call got through he exclaimed:

“What are you wearing?”

He figured if they knew what the other one was wearing it would be easier for both of them to spot each other in the crowd.

“Uhmm, morning.”

That wasn’t Rhett.

“Agh, sorry, I was calling for Rhett?”

Link felt so stupid all of a sudden. Had he just asked another man what he was wearing over the phone?

“Oh, you must be Link! I am Gregg, Rhett’s roommate.”

Of course, Rhett had mentioned Gregg before.

“He is in the bathroom right now, but he’ll be over soon. I’ll tell him to call you back.”

Gregg’s voice was not hostile which meant Link hadn’t woken him up -thankfully.

“Uhm, thanks.”

“Of course.”

As Gregg took the receiver away from his ear he shouted into the room:

“RHETT! Your boyfriend called!”

But before Link could say anything the line was dead.

 

Did Gregg just call Link ‘Rhett’s boyfriend’?

 

As if Link wasn’t nervous before, now he was literally shaking.  
They haven’t given a name to their ‘relationship’, not that Link know of anyway, and today was full of new and unknown things anyway; such as seeing Rhett for the first time.

Was he going to be as good-looking as Link imagined or was he just another average person? What was the colour of his eyes in the morning light? Did his laugh sound as warm in real life too? Was he going to like Link in real life or be disappointed? Maybe he would just reveal that this whole thing was a prank all along and that he thought Link was an idiot.

He could feel his heartbeats quickening and his body getting tense. Silently cursing himself for being such a nervous person, he tried to remind himself that he cannot control everything and that he should just go with the flow.

But Rhett’s boyfriend?

Thankfully, the phone rang before Link drove himself crazy by overthinking.

“Yes?”

“Dude, did you really try to start a sexual conversation with my roommate behind my back?”

Link felt his body soften when he heard Rhett’s voice but tried to sound defensive nevertheless:

“What are you talking about?”

“Asking someone what he is wearing over the phone sounds pretty suggestive ya know”

He could _hear_ the smirk on Rhett’s face as he talked.

“Oww come on, I though _you_ would pick up the phone!”

“What are you suggesting? Cause I am freshly out the shower, wearing a towel and nothing else”

Link felt the blood drain from his body.

His mind started to imagine all sorts of things. He desperately tried to shut them down.  
Trying to keep the quiver out of his voice but failing drastically he said:

“Nothing man! I just wanted to learn what you’d be wearing so I can spot you in the café today.”

There was a moment’s silence before Rhett spoke again:

“What are _you_ wearing?”

“Just jeans, t-shirt and a blue cardigan.” Link answered without even thinking.

“Kay, so I’ll find you. I’ll be the tall guy.”

“Well, that wasn’t the answer I was looking for.”

“See you in an hour, Link” Rhett said before ending the call.

Rhett was such a carefree and relaxed person, unlike Link who needed plans and structure.

And yet he could not get mad at Rhett.

Because even though they seemed like opposites sometimes, they completed each other without even trying.


	5. Chapter 5

The walk to the café felt like 500 miles even though it only took Link 15 minutes.  
He was early, as usual.  
The thought of being late to somewhere haunted him so much that he was almost always at least 20 minutes early.

He decided to wait till Rhett arrived to get inside.

It was a chilly morning. The sun had risen, but it was not enough to warm up the previous night’s cold yet.  
Link had put on his green coat but left the zipper undone in order for his actual outfit to show. He hadn’t told Rhett about the coat and was paranoid that he would not recognize him.  
Rhett had told him to look for the tall guy, but that was not helping Link at the moment. He was usually the tallest person among his friend groups, so really he did not know what to except.  
The cold was starting to seep through his thin layer of clothes and make him shiver when he heard a familiar noise coming from behind him:

“Link?”

He turned towards where the sound came from, only to be faced with the view of a grey jacket. Lifting his head up he locked eyes with a tall, I mean very tall, man.

“Rhett?”

The tall mans lips curled up into a smile and Link could only imagine his own lips mimicking the motion.

He was….gorgeous.

The morning sun was bouncing off of his dirty-blond hair giving it a depth that made him look even taller. Long eyelashes framed his green-grey eyes and Link wanted to get lost in them.  
He didn’t except Rhett –the stranger over the phone– to be so….stunning.

He had forgotten about the cold, forgotten about his anxious thoughts and even forgotten about all the people around them. At this exact moment, it was only Rhett.

He realised he’d been staring, for who knows how long, and could keep on staring, not wanting the moment to end.

Rhett was staring too.

But they couldn’t just stand there, so he broke the silence with a small “Hi”

As he proceeded to reach out his hand for a handshake, he saw that the other man was stepping forward for a hug.  
In an attempt to fix the situation before it got awkward, he lowered his arm and stepped forward. However, apparently, Rhett also had the same thought; as he drew back raising his right hand for a handshake.

Link didn’t plan their first meeting to be like this, to be this awkward.  
This was awkward.  
He could feel the blood rushing to his face, and his mouth opening and closing in an attempt to apologise but only managing to mumble nonsensically.  
Fortunately, Rhett wasn’t as stunned by the awkwardness as Link.

He just laughed -a familiar but also alien sound to Link, as he had grown to love it over the phone but got to hear it in real life for the first time.  
The next moment, Rhett’s huge arms were around Link’s body. Hugging him a bit too tightly, making Link -who was also a tall person- look -and feel- small in them.

“Agh, so good to finally see your face!”

“You have no idea” Link tried to respond while gasping for some air.

“So, what are we having? Cause I’m starving!”

And with that he disappeared into the small building.

Link followed suit, dazed from all that had happened in the last couple of minutes.  
Rhett was already looking for a place to sit, but as usual it was quite crowded inside.  
As Link walked up to him, a table in the far right, next to the big windows got vacant. With enthusiasm, Rhett turned to meet Link’s eyes and when Link nodded with a smile he quickly went over to that table.  
Seeing someone get this excited over an available table and food was new to Link, and he was enjoying it -a lot.

Link sat opposite Rhett, who had already started reading the menu.

Sunshine was hitting their table, illuminating Rhett’s face.

Link took it all in: his eyes, his nose, his mouth…

He knew Rhett was a good person and a great friend. But Link had never allowed himself to hope that he would also be as good looking on the outside.

Even though he was literally a giant he acted so small and also there was something about him that warmed Link’s heart and soul.

He felt like home.

Link hadn’t realized he was staring until Rhett tilted his head up to meet his gaze.

“What?” he asked wrinkling his nose “Is there something on my face?”

He looked so silly Link couldn’t help but laugh. When the other man saw him laughing he joined him.

Trying to catch his breath, Link replied:

“No, no. I just can’t believe you are actually here, sitting across from me. It feels a bit surreal, ya know?”

Rhett just smiled in response.

 

The waitress came over with a notepad in her hand. She was a fairly tall girl in her late twenties with black eyes and black hair. She looked tired.

“Morning! What can I get you boys?” she asked with a loud but monotone voice.

She was looking at Rhett but Rhett looked at Link expectedly instead of answering, so Link spoke up:

“I’d like the chocolate chip pancakes please”

“Anything to drink?”

“Uhmm, a latte, thank you.”

After writing down Link’s order, she turned to Rhett.

“I would like an omelette and a black coffee first, then I’ll have the blueberry pancakes. Thank you.”

The waitress smiled at them before she left.

“An omelette _and_ pancakes!? Man, you must be hungry!”

“I am a big man, if I dare say. It takes a lot to keep this body running!”

And just like that they feel into their comfortable conversation routine.

The excitement was in both of their voices as they talked, but other than that not much was different.

It felt more _real_ though.

Being able to see each others facial expressions while talking about a sad or dramatic memory, to hit each other softly when the other one says something silly, to laugh together and make each other laugh even more just by smiling a bit longer than normal were all the little things that made it more real.

Because, Link had to admit, there were times he questioned this relationship between him and Rhett.

It felt too good to be true.

Sometimes he got paranoid about the truth of it all: maybe he was reading into it too much or maybe Rhett was just messing with him.  
He tried not to get overwhelmed by these thoughts that his anxiety was obviously responsible for, but he couldn’t help it.

Link had never had a ‘best friend’ or even just a really close friend. His whole life, he had longed for someone he could just click with.  
Someone who would be there for him whenever, someone he could trust, someone who would understand and accept Link for who he really was.  
Like Rhett had said in their first conversation; a constant, _his touchstone._

And now Rhett was actually here; the whole of him and not just his voice.

He was taller than Link would have imagined and seemed to be more excited about food than literally anything else but still, he was real.

They had finished their food and were on their 3rd cup of coffees when Rhett put his hand on Links hand that had been resting on the table.  
His palms were sweaty but that didn’t bother Link at that moment.

“It’s almost noon, bo” Rhett said softly.

“Yeah?” Link asked in a low voice.

“Don’t you have class in, like, half an hour?”

Link suddenly jerked his hand under Rhett’s and looked at his watch. He was right; Link had completely forgotten he had a 12.40 class today.

They quickly finished their drinks and paid. Link had insisted that he would take care of it but Rhett had proceeded to take out his wallet nonetheless. In the end, however, Link did pay for both of their meals and left the small building with a smile on his lips. Rhett acted annoyed, but did not fight back that much.

“I know you get paranoid about being late to class so I didn’t actually expect you to forget about it. Good thing you had me with you, am I right?” Rhett said and punched Link in the shoulder -a bit too hard to be honest.

_“I wouldn’t have forgotten about it in the first place if you weren’t taking up my whole attention, bo”_ Link wanted to say but instead, he just rubbed his shoulder with an exaggerated yelp and said “You know me too well.”

Even he didn’t know if this was meant to be sarcastic or not, but it made Rhett smile and that was good enough for Link.

“What are you gonna do later?” Link asked as he realised they were walking towards the building his class was at, together.

“Dunno. Maybe I’ll go back to my room to take a nap, or just meet with some guys and hang out.” Rhett shrugged.

Link knew Rhett didn’t have class that day –or maybe he did but never mentioned it to Link, as he was not the studious type- and he knew that his dormitory was not this way.

“Soooo, what are you doing _now_?”

“I’m walking you to your class, man. That’s the least I can do, after you bought me brunch”

They walked in silence after that and Link had never felt so content before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have so many ideas for this fic and yet life keeps getting in the way and i can hardly find the time to write them :/
> 
> However, seeing all of your lovely comments literally make my day! You are too kind!  
> They mean so much to me, you have no idea <3
> 
> Again, thank you so, so much for reading!  
> And as always, i would love to get your opinions/feedback ^_^


	6. Chapter 6

Link was having a hard time concentrating on his classes lately. He still managed to get good grades but in classes, all he could think about was Rhett.

Even his friends had asked what was wrong. They thought there was a girl he liked and they were happy for him. After his last breakup Link had gotten more depressed than ever and seeing him happy again made his friends happy too.

Link had cleared the situation by telling them it was just a new friend he had made –leaving out the details of how they met- and that he was helping him a lot with his issues.

So naturally, they wanted to meet him.

Link wasn’t sure about it.

For some reason he thought introducing Rhett to his friends would take something away from their relationship. In Rhett’s case, Link had only ever talked to Gregg -Rhett’s roommate- and that was it. They had never talked about meeting each other’s friends.

Rhett was the best thing that had happened to him in college, and after only several months he had forgotten what life was like without him.  
And he did not want to remember.

He wanted Rhett all to himself and worried that the other mans thoughts about him would change after spending time with his other friends.

Link hated himself for always over thinking and always being on edge. He did not think of himself as antisocial but he also knew that more people meant more anxiety for him.

He used to like being alone the best; that was until Rhett came along.

His new favourite time was when he was with him.  
It was so peaceful and felt so natural.  
For the first time in his life he had found someone who would make silences not awkward. They could just sit at a café and have lunch together without having to speak or just talk about nonsense over the phone for hours.

Rhett was his best friend and Link had not lied when he had said Rhett was helping him with his mental health issues.  
He never had such a person in his life and did not want to risk loosing him.

 

They had decided upon never keeping things from each other.  
That’s why, one cold evening when they were sitting at a bench in the library’s garden just watching the water run in the pond, Link brought up the subject that had been eating him alive for some time.

“I’ve talked about you to my friends you know”

Rhett had been dozing off a bit so he just responded with a soft “huh?”

“They were inquiring about where I’ve been lately and all, so I had to told them about you.”

Link had practised this dialogue in his head a lot but he was still unable to speak calmly.

“ _Had to_ , you say”

Link nudged him in the shoulder with his own and continued:

“They want to meet you.”

Rhett turned to Link before speaking

“I would love to meet your friends!”

He seemed so excited Link couldn’t remember why he had abstained from introducing him earlier.

“Really? You don’t think it would be … awkward?”

“Why would it be? Are you ashamed of me?”

Link couldn’t tell if he was being serious or just joking.

“No, no, of course not. It’s just… I mean… I don’t know”

Rhett didn’t say anything, so Link spoke again:

“Well, I have never met any of _your_ friends”

“You met Gregg” Rhett replied.

“Yes but I know for a fact that he is not your only friend”

“Yea, I also have you”

Rhett snuggled up to Link then, trying to make himself small so he can rest his head on Link’s shoulder, ending their conversation.

How could Link stay mad at him?

* * *

 

They had decided to go to one of Link’s friends house for dinner.

Steven and Kurt shared a flat that was not that far from the campus and were hosting a little dinner party for them.- and by dinner party they meant couple of buckets of KFC-

It was going to be Steven, Kurt, Molly, Jess, Link and, of course, Rhett.

Rhett didn’t say it directly, but Link could tell he was kinda anxious.

He knew Rhett was a “peoples person” and did not have trouble getting along with new people, so he couldn’t really understand why he would be feeling anxious.

On the other hand, Link was absolutely terrified.

They had worn matching clothes unintentionally: grey button up shirts and black jeans. It made them both laugh, which in turn help them relax a bit.

Molly had a car, so they met with her and Jess in the library’s parking lot.  
Both of the girls were very excited to meet Rhett at last and they were by no means trying to hide it. They were initially shocked by Rhett’s height –as Link had predicted- but the whole thing was not as awkward as Link feared. It actually went quite well.

They drove to Steven and Kurt’s place with Molly driving, Jess riding shotgun and Rhett and Link in the back seat.  
They did not talk that much as they did not want to exclude Steven and Kurt.

When they arrived, the food was already ready. So, they opened up the beers Rhett and Link had brought and sat at the dinner table.

Their questions to Rhett were mostly like “What are you majoring in? Where are you originally from? So, what kind of movies do you like?” etc.

Rhett seemed to be enjoying himself and Link’s friends seemed to like Rhett. Link did not participate in the conversations that much, preferring to watch instead.  
He couldn’t think of the reason why he feared this in the first place. Nothing would have change between Rhett and himself just because he met some other friends of him.

At the end of the night, Molly dropped them off in front of Link’s dormitory and drove off with Jess.

It had started to snow, lightly, and it was past midnight.

They just stood there, under a streetlight, watching the snow fall slowly.

“It was a fun night, don’t you think?” Rhett broke the silence.

“Yes, yes it was.”

Link drew closer to Rhett:

“So, what did you think of them?”

Rhett took his time before answering:

“I liked them. They are fun and they do seem to truly care about you, which is nice.”

He turned to Link with a smile.

Link smiled back.

They stood there silently some more.

“It’s cold outside, and dark. Are you sure you’ll be okay walking to your dormitory?”

“Well, what other option do I have?”

Rhett was looking away so Link couldn’t see his face.

“Uhmm, well, you can stay at my room tonight.” Link said under his breath.

The truth was, he was getting really cold but did not want to say goodnight to Rhett just yet.

Rhett was smiling once more:

“I am a big guy, bo. Where are you gonna fit me?”

“Uhmmm, yea, i… did not think this through, did i?”

They both started laughing then. Link didn’t know if it was the after effects of the beers they had consumed or the fact that it was late that was making them even sillier than usual.

“We have like 2 armchairs in our room. So maybe we can just put them end to end?”

_Or we can just share my bed?_

Link was not ready to think that.

Feeling Rhett’s warmth next to his body as they lie still….

Just thinking about it gave him chills. Which, in return, made Rhett think he was cold and he offered Link his jacket.

“Don’t be stupid bo, you’d freeze!”

“Don’t you worry about me. I don’t get as cold as you.”

And with that Rhett’s jacket was hanging from Link’s shoulders.

Link had to admit; it did feel nice and warm. He snuggled into it with a little whimper.

“So… I should be going. Unless you are going to offer your bed to me next?”

Link could feel his cheeks reddening profusely.

He started mumbling nonsensically while avoiding meeting Rhett’s eyes.

“Yea, I thought so. See you later then, and thanks for a great dinner. I’m actually really happy that I got to meet some friends of yours”

And without waiting for Link’s reply, Rhett turned around and started walking into the dark of the night; leaving Link standing under the yellow streetlight with his jacket over Link’s small body, warming him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is somewhat a "filling chapter" as i really like this versions of them and want to explore it a bit more ^_^
> 
> Hope you liked it as well !
> 
> My finals are coming up so i might not be able to write as much in the next couple of weeks :/
> 
> But just know that all your encouraging comments never fail to put a smile on my face!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first week of January is the last week of classes in my uni, and the next two weeks are final weeks.  
> After that, we get a 4 week term-break/holiday.  
> I kinda went with that in this story too.

Rhett had become Link’s whole life.

They knew each other’s schedules by heart and they had a routine made which allowed them to talk to each other at least once every day.  
Most days, they would meet up to have dinner together. Some days, however, Rhett had basketball practise so they could only talk on the phone.

Rhett had become Link’s whole life and Link had become Rhett’s; and neither of them complained about it.

 

Link saw Molly again on Monday, three days after the dinner party. It was finals week and also their last week of school before their semester break. After an exam in the morning, Molly persuaded Link to have lunch with her. They went to the canteen of their building and get some sandwiches to eat. They just talked about regular stuff until Molly brought up the dinner party.

“You know, I really liked Rhett. He seemed like a cool guy.”

Between bites Link agreed:

“Yes, yes he is”

There was an awkward silence, which Link attributed to the fact that both of their mouths were full.

“Uhmm, can I ask you a question?”

Molly’s tone had changed all of a sudden which made Link nervous.

“Yes of course, anything”

Molly shifted awkwardly

“Well, I was wondering if Rhett was dating anybody?”

Link just kept staring at her.

It must have been longer than he realized as Molly started waving her hand in front of his face:

“Link, Link?”

“Ah, what, yes, well, not that I know of”

Actually Link knew for a fact that Rhett didn’t have a girlfriend. If he had, he would have told Link -as they tell each other literally everything. It was true that Rhett flirted a lot, but that was just his personality. He was awfully nice to everyone -and not just to girls for that matter.  
It was the question that had startled him. Why was she asking this anyway?

“Why do you ask?” Link added.

“Well, he was just really cute and nice and all. So I wondered if you could talk to him about me”

“Wait, you want me to set you up with… with Rhett?”

Link knew he sounded dumb but he didn’t care.

Molly had brought her head down, blushing. She coughed before speaking again:

“Yes.”

They continue eating in silence for some time.

“Okay, I’ll talk to him.”

Molly’s face lightened up after hearing this and she threw her arms over Link, smothering him in a hug.

“Thank you so much! You are the best!”

They continue chatting for a while, until Molly had to leave. So they said their goodbyes and Link started walking to his room.

* * *

He didn’t mention Molly that night while he talked on the phone with Rhett.

He didn’t mention her when he met with Rhett at the cafeteria on Tuesday either.

He knew not talking to Rhett and just lying to Molly about it would solve the dilemma he was in but he also knew the guilt would eat him up as well. That’s why, on Wednesday, Link proposed meeting up earlier than usual and having some milkshake together. Neither of them had an exam that day so Rhett said okay.

They went out the campus to a little shop Greg had recommended. Link got the chocolate milkshake while Rhett went with strawberry. They sat inside, as outside was freezing cold, at a table that was not that close to the counter but not that close to the windows either. Rhett had gotten used to Link trying to find the optimum place to sit whenever they go somewhere new, so he just waited patiently. After they settled and started speaking again Link found himself pushing the topic away from his mind and just talking about other things. Rhett was talking about a friend of his, Mark, and how he had to persuade the professors to give him some extra assignments in order for him to pass the class. Link had nothing to add so he just laughed along with him.They fell in silence afterwards, both of them sipping their milkshakes.

Link liked the silences they have. It always felt peaceful. Not this time though. This time he could only think about what to say to Rhett about Molly.

That’s when he felt the warmth of Rhett’s thumb over his upper lip. As he tilted his head up, he locked eyes with Rhett. They looked at each other until Rhett averted his gaze and retracted his hand.

“Uhmm, you had, you know, you had some cream there so I just, you know..”

Link could feel himself blushing so he looked down in order to hide his face.

“I should go and get some napkins.” Rhett mumbled before getting up from his chair and rushing to the counter.

Without thinking, Link put his hand over the place where Rhett’s had rested just seconds ago and smiled to himself.

Rhett came back with a bunch of napkins in his hand and settled into his chair once more.

“So, how’s everything with you? How are your friends? You did tell Steven and Kurt that I really appreciated them welcoming a stranger to their house for dinner, right?”

This was it; this was the time to bring Molly up.

“Yes yes. Also, umm, you remember Molly right?”

“Yea, the blond girl who had 2 dogs back at home”

“Yes, her. Well, we were talking the other day and she umm she mentioned you.”

Rhett’s cheeks rounded up as his smug smile settled in.

“Oh really. What did she say?”

Link hesitated. Why was he making this to be a big deal? Was he jealous? But why would he be? Rhett was his best friend and that was all. One of his friends dating him wouldn’t be that bad … right?

“Well, she wanted to know if you were single”

Rhett burst into laughter – not a cynical one but the low one that sounds like ‘hohohoho’ and never fails to warm up Link.

“I am flattered, really.”

He was still smiling

“She is a wonderful person and a beautiful woman but..”

That’s when his smile faltered

“I’m not ummm not ready for a romantic relationship … after my last breakup … ummm … anyway… I don’t want to break her heart or anything but you can tell her that I am not interested, not in a romantic way anyway.”

Link was not expecting this.

All signs of Rhett’s smile were gone from his face and Link could see the sadness in his green eyes.  
Link had the urge to embrace Rhett in his arms and whisper comforting words to him but instead he just asked

“Wanna talk about it?”

Rhett took a sip out of his now almost empty milkshake cup and turned to Link to meet his gaze.

“Nah, it was actually a long time ago. I thought I moved on. But apparently it still haunts me.”

He chuckled nervously

“That and I never really though of Molly in a romantic way”

He was smiling again but Link could tell he was still holding back. He knew Rhett wasn’t the one to talk about his feelings but Link could sense this was something important and he was getting worried about his best friend.

“You never mentioned it before, your last relationship I mean”

Link hoped Rhett got the message, which the look of his face and the way he exhaled confirmed that he did.

“Well, it was my first year in college and I thought he was the one.”

Did Link hear him right?

Did Rhett just say _he_?

“He?” Link asked, not being able to hide the bewilderment in his voice.

“Yes. His name was Marcus.”

What?

Link had a lot to process.

“But I thought… I mean… you’ve talked about your previous girlfriends before?”

Rhett smiled but his eyes were still sad.

“Yes, well, I am bisexual.”

When Link kept staring at his face, not saying anything; Rhett continued

“I mean, I like girls and I like boys. It’s actually quite simple. I don’t want to limit my options you know”

He laughed afterwards but Link was unable to join him.

“Sorry, thought a joke might help.”

More silence.

“I didn’t want you to learn it like this you know.”

“Then why haven’t you said anything before?” Link sounded a lot harsher than he had intended.

“My sexuality does not define me you know!”

Rhett’s voice was raising but he managed to calm down before continuing

“Look, it is not easy talking about this type of stuff. Although I am comfortable and open about my sexuality, I couldn’t calculate what your reaction would be. I … I didn’t want to scare you off or anything.”

Link knew his face looked angry but he tried to keep it out of his voice

“I thought you were my best friend. Friends tell each other stuff like this.”

Link couldn’t decide which was more shocking: Rhett coming out to him or Link’s reaction to it.

“I wanted to, believe me. I mean, all my other friends know. I am not ashamed of who I am.”

He shifted in his seat before continuing:

“It’s just that, from your accent I could tell that you were from the south and that homosexuality is not … accepted in those areas. I was afraid that you would hate me … or something...”

Rhett’s voice had died down and Link suddenly felt really stupid.

What if his best friend was bisexual? It wouldn’t change anything between them. Link was questioning his own sexuality lately so it might have an effect on that, but….

Well, Rhett wasn’t wrong about the south thing either. Link had grown up in a very religious town and homosexuality was certainly taught as a sin. But, he wasn’t living there anymore. He had grown up, came to college and started to actually think for himself. The things he was preached at when he was little did not define him anymore. He was an individual now and he was certainly not homophobic.

Still, he was speechless right now.

Rhett kept staring at him with tired eyes and Link hated that he acted so harsh, but he was in shock.

All this time, when he thought they were flirting in a friendly way, were they _actually_ flirting? Or was it just the nature of their friendship?  
He knew it was stupid to assume Rhett liked him in that way just because he liked boys. But still, Link couldn’t dismiss the thoughts that easily.  
He needed to distract himself.

“So, what happened with Marcus?”

His voice was low but Rhett had heard him. Link knew that because his expression got sad again. Link had never seen Rhett like this. Was it the fact that he couldn’t come out to Link as he wanted to or was it talking about Marcus?

“Well, lets just say he hurt my feelings and … umm ... we had a hard breakup.”

Rhett started scratching the back of his neck as he spoke again

“Anyways, yea, everything is cool, right?”

Link just nodded.

He had a lot to think about.

* * *

They didn’t speak the next day.

Friday was the last day of exams and their one month break was ahead. Link was going back to his hometown for the first two weeks and Rhett was going skiing with his friends in the first week then his hometown in the second week.  
Which meant they wouldn’t be able to see each other or talk to each other for at least 2 weeks.

Link was not okay with the way they left things. However he was still in a loss of words.

He never even dreamt of liking someone as much as he liked Rhett, let alone thought about his sexuality.

It was true that he had never actually fallen in love with someone, not that he could call ‘real’. He had some girlfriends but they were more for show. He did like them and care for them, but still, deep down, he knew it was not real love.

While Rhett was a whole other story.

Link didn’t know if it was love or something else.  
All he knew was that he cared way too much about their relationship and he certainly did not want to mess things up by reacting poorly to his best friends sexuality.  
He wanted to see Rhett before the break began, but he couldn’t find the nerve to pick up the phone and call him.

It was early afternoon and he was alone in his room once more –his roommates have left for the holiday already-, lying on his bed, listening to old country songs that reminded him of home.  
He didn’t have any plans for today and was not expecting to see anyone; which is why the knock on the door surprised him.  
It was soft at first but then it became more audible.  
Link turned the down the music and walked to the door.  
When he opened it, he was met with the sight of his best friend.

He didn’t look right though.

The warm-hearted giant Link knew as Rhett was looking so small right now. He was wearing grey sweatpants and a black hoodie, his eyes looked sad.

“Rhett?”

This was also the first time he had come to Link’s room.

“Hey Link”

Noticing once again the absence of any jacket or coat Link spoke up

“Oh my god, Rhett! Are you trying to catch your death or something? Just come in, come in”

He rushed him into the room and closed the door behind them.

“It’s not that cold you know”

Rhett was smiling a little now, which helped Link loosen up a bit.

“Here, let me get you a blanket”

Link took out his heaviest blanket and draped it around the other man

“Here you go”

Rhett felt so fragile under Link’s touch and looked so small under the blanket, Link’s heart hurt.

“Are you okay, bo?” he asked as he sat next to him on the bed.

Rhett just nodded.

They sat in silence for some time.

“I..”

They had both started but shut up when they realised the other one had started talking too.

“You go first”

“No, no, you”

In the end, Rhett was the one to talk

“Look, when you said I was your best friend back at the milkshake place, I didn’t get the change to say it back. So here it is, Link, you are my best friend too.”

He paused and shifted toward Link

“I really don’t wanna mess things up man. I don’t want things to be weird between us. I am sorry tha-…”

Link cut him off before he could finish his sentence:

“No, no. I am the one who should be sorry. I acted … stupid, and I _am_ sorry. You were right, your sexuality does not define you and I shouldn’t have made a huge deal out of it. Like you said, you are my best friend and I will never ever hate you.”

Link did something neither of them expected then.

He hugged Rhett.

They were facing each other already and quite frankly, Link couldn’t resist.

When he felt Rhett’s arms tightening around his body and his warm breath on the back of his neck, he melted into him.

“Thank you” Rhett whispered to his hair.

Link was glad Rhett couldn’t see his face at the moment because tears were accumulating on his eyes.

They stayed like that for who knows how long, until Rhett stood tall again.

He was smiling now, which made Link smile too.

“Uhmm, Link, I need to tell you one more thing”

Link tried to shut his over-thinking-mind down in order to be fully present at the moment this time.

“Look, we wont be able to see each other for at least 2 weeks and I really do not want things to be left hangin.”

Link was not sure what the other man was talking about, so he kept his mouth shut.

“I now you must have a lot of questions in your mind, about … ummm … me and … well … my sexuality”

He was right, but Link did not confirm it verbally.

“Well, my mama used to say ‘communication is key’ and she was right. So I don’t really want things left unsaid.”

Link knew Rhett had started rambling, trying to buy himself some time but he did not mind.

“What I’m trying to say is, that, when I first met you I kinda was hoping to be … ummm … more than friends”

Link leaned back against the wall behind them.

He did not say anything.

“But, ummm, as our relationship progressed I realised that you were not really … umm … into guys … and, that, you were not looking for a romantic relationship. And I am okay with that! I value our friendship more than my selfish interests, more than anything really. So, I am over it –I guess.”

“Ookay” Link managed to say, just to fill the awkward silence that would otherwise get born.

“I just thought it was unfair to not let you know. You were right when you said friends tell each other everything. So here I am, trying to make things less weird between us before the term-break.”

Link kept quiet.

“Link, please say something.”

Rhett’s voice was small, Link could hardly hear him.

Link didn’t know what to think, let alone know what to say.  
So instead, he did the next best thing he could think of: he hugged Rhett again.

This time Rhett held him tighter while Link snuggled into him and closed his eyes.

“I’m gonna miss you so freakin much, you know that right?”

“I’m gonna miss you too Link”

They held onto each other for longer than necessary, neither of them willing to let go, not just yet.

 

 

On his way back home, riding away from the campus on a chilly January evening, Link knew a lot had changed and that he had a lot to think about.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: mention of abuse

It has been 4 days since Link arrived at his childhood home.  
The first couple of days were filled with relatives coming to see him and talking about his life at college. Link was happy to be with family again. He had missed his mother much more than he was willing to admit, so spending some mother-son time with her felt good. However, through the week, life had become mundane again and Link found himself thinking about Rhett.

He realised he had never been in love. What did ‘being in love’ mean anyway? There were no rules that explained how you should be feeling like if you love someone.

He knew that he cared about Rhett and their relationship.  
Link had been lost for so long. And even though Rhett had not magically given him an answer to conclude this miserable journey, he had become his companion. With Rhett, he did not mind being lost.

* * *

 It was a chilly Saturday afternoon and Link was walking down the main street, thinking about everything from how much he misses his old life to his sexuality, from his grades at school to Rhett. Somehow, his mind always landed on Rhett.

Maybe because he was so distracted by all these thoughts, he did not recognise the voice calling his name.

“Link?!”

He looked up to see Greg, Rhett’s roommate, standing before him.

“Greg?”

They were standing in the middle of an almost empty street, miles and miles away from school. So what was Greg doing here?

“I didn’t know you were coming here!” Greg exclaimed. He seemed genuinely excited and surprised to see Link there.

“Well, yea, I’m visiting family. I didn’t know you’d be here either!”

Link’s mind had finally caught up with the events, and now he was feeling excited as well. It was good to see people from school.

“Yeah man, my parents had just moved here couple of years ago. So I am here to see them before classes begin again.”

They decided to go to a coffee shop nearby.

Link had only ever seen Greg with Rhett and for short amount of times, but he seemed cool and it helped Link get his mind off of things for a while.  
They talked about the weather, their families and -of course- school.

“You know, Rhett never told me how you guys met.”

Link knew this was coming. They knew each other through Rhett, so of course they were going to talk about him.  
God, how much Link missed Rhett.

“Yea? It’s kind of a funny story actually.”

“Isn’t it always with Rhett?”

They both laughed, knowing it was true.

“Well, actually I called him one night.”

Greg just took another sip from his cup, so Link continued.

“I was feeling down and decided to try talking to a stranger over the phone. Actually; Rhett was the third person I’ve called, but the first who was willing to listen.”

“That’s actually quite sweet you know. Good thing it wasn’t me, huh!”

Greg started laughing again, so Link chuckled in response –realising how lucky he was that Rhett answered the phone that night.

“So, when did you start dating?”

Link almost choked on his coffee and started coughing.

“We are … um … we are not a couple. I mean … we are not dating.”

“Oh” was Greg’s response.

They sipped their coffees in silence for some time.

“You know, it’s just that, you guys are together a lot and seeing Rhett happy again made me hope that maybe he had found someone better than his ex-boyfriend at last.”  
Greg seemed distracted, almost like he was talking to himself.

“Marcus?” Link asked.

“Oh, Rhett talked about him?”  
He seemed genuinely surprised, which made Link more curious about the whole Marcus thing.

“He mentioned him, yes”  
Link was dying to know what had happened between them but he did not want to seem nosey.

“Ugh, he was such a jerk! I don’t know what Rhett saw in him. Guess love is actually blind, huh?”

Link just nodded.

“I mean, I am not gay or anything, but he _was_ good looking.”

“So what happened, exactly?”

Greg hesitated a bit before answering

“Well, it is a quite complicated story”

“I have time.”  
Link knew he was forcing the situation a bit, but Greg seemed to be passionate about the subject

“Okay okay. Well here’s what I know…”

Link draw himself closer to the table as Greg told the story.

“Apparently, they met at the orientation week. You know, the first week of freshman year. I don’t know who asked out the other but they began dating literally a week later. At first, they were the perfect couple. They were not together 24/7 or anything, nor did they make out in public all the time -like some of the other couples-. Still, the love they had for each other was obvious. The way they looked at each other, how they could make the other laugh… They would walk around holding hands all the time and looked so happy together, most of the people envied them. Even when they were not together, Rhett would light up when he talked about him. He was so happy.”

Greg shook his head like he was disapproving something.

“He used to talk to me about everything. And I would talk to him about … well everything. I am not claiming to be his best friend or anything, but when you live with someone and you chime in with them, you get close, you know? Anyway, after a while, like 2 months later or so, Rhett got so … quiet. He would avoid conversation; sometimes even avoid meeting my eyes. We used to play video games all the time, but now he was never in the mood. I tried not to make it out to be a big deal. Like I said, we were close but not that close. I figured he was having some problems and decided it was best to give him some space.”

Greg got silent then. His eyes had gotten sadder and he had stopped drinking his coffee.

“Umm, you know, Rhett is not someone who gets embarrassed; in general. I mean, he would sleep half naked and sometimes just walk around naked after taking a shower. However, I realised –a bit too late maybe– that he had began to cover up his body. He had started to wear long sleeved shirts most of the time and even began sleeping in pjs. When I asked him about it, he played dumb.”  
“One morning, I was still in bed as he went to the bathroom. When he got out of the shower, he must have thought I was asleep because he just walked out towards his bed … still naked. And his arms … his, his legs … and even his torso … his whole body was covered in bruises and even some open wounds.”

Greg’s voice had started trembling and his eyes were blank.

“I … I didn’t know what to think. All those wounds and bruises… It hurt just to look at them. I couldn't wrap my head around it. How did it happen? Why did he never say anything? I closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep when he turned around. I did not talk to him about it until that night.”

Link realised he was beginning to cry, but he did not try to wipe away his tears; he did not mind.

“I am not someone who holds back, so I confronted him that night. He denied it and tried to get out of the conversation.”  
“After a long and tense conversation that kept us up all night, he just burst into tears. It was … well it was terrifying. I have never seen Rhett like that before. I learned that Marcus had done all that. He was abusing him and Rhett wasn’t fighting back. Which was weird, because the Rhett I knew would take no shit from no one. However, even as he told me all the … all the disgusting and horrifying things Marcus had done, he kept defending him. He tried to justify all his actions and keep repeating how much he loved him and how much Marcus loved him back. He wouldn’t listen when I tried to explain to him that this wasn’t love and that Rhett should report this. He continuously shouted that I could never tell anyone about this, especially Marcus. He did not want to loose him.”  
“He cried all night. He was so … fragile. It was weird, and scary.”  
“In the end, _I_ reported him. Turns out he had abused other people before. A lot of shit went down but at the end he was taken away. I don’t really know what happened to him. He left school, I know that much.”  
“Rhett did not speak to me for weeks. However, he came to his senses at last and he even thanked me.”  
“Since then, I had become kinda protective of Rhett –whether he knows it or not. So when I found out about you, I didn’t know what to think. His mood has changed for the better significantly since he met you. So, maybe I should be thanking you. Whether you are a couple or just friends, I am grateful that you called our room number that night.”

Greg was smiling again –a sad smile- but Link just averted his gaze.

* * *

That night, Link couldn’t stop thinking about what Greg had told him about Marcus and how he treated Rhett.  
Just thinking about Rhett covered in bruises was enough to bring back the tears to his eyes. He sobbed until his eyes hurt, thinking about the nature of the relationship Rhett had with Marcus.  
Rhett was one of the strongest people he had met –both physically and mentally-. So it was hard for Link to imagine him in a situation like this.

Rhett did not deserve this. Nobody deserves this.

* * *

It was the second week of term-break. Away from responsibilities and distractions, Link had a lot of time to think.  
Think about things that have been bothering him, things he has been avoiding.

Among all his anger and sadness and confusion, one thing was clear: he loved Rhett.  
More than friends and possibly, even more than best friends.  
Maybe this was what it felt like to be in love.

Rhett was an adventure and home all at once. He was the constant Link needed in his life. And even though he never had to distinguish between romantic feelings and friendly feelings before, he knew that this was something more.

It was unknown territory: dating your best friend or, well, dating a boy. But Link was willing to endure anything as long as he had Rhett by his side.

Suddenly, he remembered their last conversation; how Rhett had told him about his romantic feelings towards him and how he assured Link that he was over it.

What if that was true? What if he would reject Link?

He did not want to cause any more misery to Rhett, especially not after learning what he had been through with his last boyfriend. Getting him confused by bringing up a chance of romance and rubbing salt in his wound…

Why haven’t Link said anything back then? He could have admitted having romantic feelings towards Rhett, which would make everything less complicated for him now.

He was a coward, that’s why. He was afraid of loosing the one thing that meant everything to him, Rhett, even though the man had clearly stated having feelings for him. He was afraid of abandonment while also being afraid of commitment.

Now, he was feeling more lost than ever.

He needed to see Rhett; he needed to talk to him.

He was going back to campus in two days, a day before Rhett. They did not have any plans for the remaining weeks of the holiday –as far as Link knew. So maybe he could arrange some kind of mini vacation for just the two of them? Some alone time with Rhett, pushing himself to the extreme where he’d have to talk to him, seemed like the way to go.

He might be a coward but he owed Rhett the truth: the fact that he loved him.

* * *

It was early Friday afternoon when Link finished unpacking.

He had missed his dorm room. Even though he loved his hometown, this room had become his new home and the familiarity comforted him.

Despite not having been to Rhett’s room before, he knew where it was. So, with a speech planned on his mind, Link slowly made his way to his best friend’s room.

While he was walking towards the room that was hopefully Rhett’s, he bumped into Greg.

“Oh, hi Greg!”

“Hey Link! What the hell are you doing here?”  
Then, without letting Link talk, Greg answered himself  
“Oh, you are looking for Rhett huh?”

Link nodded in approval.

“Well, he is not here yet but I think he’ll come in in the next hour or so. I was going out for a bite, but if you want I can let you in the room”

“Yes actually, that’ll be great!”

After some more small talk, Greg left; leaving Link alone in the room.

Their room was messy.

The cables of the video game console were all tangled up, lying in the ground. There were clothes everywhere and the bed on the right was not made. Link figured the tidy bed must have been Rhett’s, as he had been away for weeks.  
He lied down on Rhett’s bed and closed his eyes. The bed sheets have been replaced since the break started, yet the faint smell of Rhett was still there. Link smelled it in.

He couldn’t wait for Rhett to come back.

* * *

He must have dozed off as the sound of rattling keys from the other side of the door woke him up.  
As Link rubbed his eyes in an attempt to wake up fully, Rhett walked in with his suitcase and closed the door behind him. When he turned around he noticed Link and let out a small shriek.

“Oh crap! You scared me dude”

Link had the goofiest smile on his face but he didn’t care,

“Surprise!” he responded in a not-so-laud noise.

Rhett looked tired. Also, he had grown his beard apparently. His beauty mole -situated just on the corner of his upper lip- was invisible now but the beard looked good on him. It made him look older, and fluffier in a way that made Link want to touch it.

“I wasn’t expecting to see you this soon! When did you come back?”  
Rhett asked, as he took off his jacket. A strip of skin was revealed above his waistband and Link had to tear his gaze away from it. Rhett had already slipped out of his shoes and tossed his suitcase into the corner of the room. Link shifted awkwardly on the bed in order to make room for Rhett to sit.

“Oh, I came back yesterday evening. And I knew you’d be back today so…”

“So you decided to scare the crap out of me, huh”

Rhett was smiling stupidly, “I am glad you did”

Link just shook his head and straightened up,

“I missed you man”

“I missed you too.”

They sat there and talked about the last two weeks.

It was as if they had never left, like they just had life on pause for a while but now it was playing again.

Link could tell Rhett was tired and that he was trying not to show it. But the frequent yawning was giving it away.

Link had come here with a cause: to talk about his plans for the two of them and he was not planning on leaving without fulfilling it.

“So, Rhett, I was thinking”

Rhett looked up to him, expectedly

“Uhmm, you know, we still have 2 weeks off and I was wondering … if you’d like to come to a little skiing holiday with me.”

Link had planned the whole thing: there was this mountain he used to go with his friends from high school where you could rent cabins to stay for a few days. He had found a vacant one and had rented it for 3 days. He wanted some alone time with Rhett, in order to make things clear between them. And truth be told, he wanted to go on a holiday with him.

“Of course man! Is it gonna be with Steven and the others again? Are you sure they won’t mind?”

“Actually, I was thinking it could be just the two of us.”

Link had tilted his head down, avoiding Rhett’s eyes. He did not want the other man to see him blushing.

“Oh”

They were silent for some time, as Link anticipated. He had practised this conversation a lot before coming here.

“Okay. A little holiday with you sounds like fun!”

God, what did Link do to deserve someone as amazing as Rhett?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for sticking with me!
> 
> Things took a turn in this chapter, i know. But i am a miserable person who needs depressing storylines...  
> The next chapter will be happier, hopefully!
> 
> I am living on your comments and kudosses so please keep them coming (✿◠‿◠)


	9. Chapter 9

The journey to the cabin on the mountain was silent and peaceful.

It was quite early in the morning; hence none of the boys tried to make conversation. They had decided to take Link’s truck, which had more than enough room for both of their stuff. They were going to stay there for only 3 days; but as they knew it was going to be cold and snowy, they had packed a lot of heavy clothes. The cabin had electricity and heating –of course- but still, it was on a mountain and it was February…

Rhett seemed excited, which was enough to make Link happy for the time being.

He was determined to talk to Rhett about his feeling towards him in this little getaway, but –uncharacteristically- he did not have a speech planned. He just wanted to savour every minute of this holiday he got to spend with Rhett and Rhett only.

The cabin was freezing -as they have predicted. So while Link was busy turning on the heather and turning the place into a liveable space, Rhett carried their suitcases to their room. There were two single-beds in one room, a living-room type of place, a small bathroom and a kitchen. It would be enough for two university students.

They were both exhausted from the journey. So when Rhett suggested having some hot cacao, Link couldn’t say no.

“Well, I know you and your sweet tooth could never decline a hot cacao offer.” Rhett said as he walked into the kitchen.

Link laughed in response because it was true.

They sat together in a green couch that was seated in the middle of the living room as they drank their hot cacaos.

“Thank you for coming up here with me. I appreciate it”  
It was quite in the mountains. Hence, even if Link’s voice was not that lauder than a whisper, Rhett could hear him easily.

Rhett nudged him in the shoulder and smiled at him brightly in response.

In the evening they decided to go out and have a little walk around the woods. It was quite cold but they had prepared accordingly.  
The snow crunched up beneath their feet as they slowly walked around the enormous woods surrounding their little cabin.  
It was particularly peaceful. The silence of nature was so calming, neither of them dared to break it with their words. That’s why they walked around in silence, occasionally bumping into each other’s arms as they tried to find their balance. Link wanted to just reach out and hold Rhett’s hand, but he couldn’t dare –not just yet.

Link was getting hungry but did not want to spoil the moment. However, his stomach had other plans. It growled loud enough for Rhett to break into laughter.

“I’ve been waiting for you to mention dinner so that I can finally confess how hungry I am! Thankfully your stomach went ahead”

Link took some snow off the ground, made it into a small ball and threw it to Rhett’s face.

Rhett acted shocked in the most exaggerated way he could between his loud laughter, but did not attack in return.

“You are lucky I am hungry, or else you would be dead right now!”

“Oh, shut up! You are always hungry!”

With that Link did get a rather big snowball to his face.

* * *

Neither of them wanted to go out again, so instead they found a relatively old Hollywood movie on TV and started watching that while they ate. There were some canned food on the cupboards and they had brought beer.

“What do you wanna do tomorrow?”  
Rhett asked, over the dramatic music coming from the movie.

“Well, we came here to ski, so we should do that I guess.”

In that moment Link felt so … domestic.  
I mean, it was just the two of them, in a proper –fairly small- house, preparing dinner together then eating it while talking about their plans for the days to come.

Link decided he could spend all of his days like this.

They haven’t realised how much time has passed while they kept drinking and talking about their childhoods. They had only been friends for couple of months now, so diving into their pasts was a new experience for both of them. They would laugh at the stupid things they did as a child and keep quiet during the more dramatic memories.

It was past midnight when the sensible part of Link decided they should go to bed in order to be ready for tomorrow’s adventures.

They walked –or stumbled to be honest- to their room, and dropped themselves to the beds on the opposite sides of the room.

“Goodnight, bo” Link whispered.

When there was no response he assumed Rhett didn’t hear him so he tucked himself in even more and closed his eyes.

“Goodnight” a weak voice called out, and Link had a goofy smile on his face as he sank into sleep.

* * *

The next morning Link woke up to the smell of fresh coffee.

His head hurt because of last night but it was not a proper hangover –thankfully.  
He got out of his bed to see Rhett’s messy but empty bed on the other side. He went to the bathroom first and tried to get himself ready for the day. When he walked to the kitchen in his pjs, Rhett was standing by the kitchen window with a steaming cup on his hands; staring outside, deep in thought. He was wearing a hoodie on top but only his boxers and no pants.

“Morning” Link chimed in, startling Rhett.

He turned around to face Link,  
“Morning”

The faint sunshine coming in from the window was illuminating Rhett’s eyes and the green of them were more beautiful than the forest outside.

“Coffee?” Rhett asked, jerking Link away from his thoughts.

“Yes, please”

As Rhett poured the coffee into a medium sized black mug and handed it to him, Link decided he needed to talk to him today.

“Are you hungry?”

In between blowing on his coffee to warm it up a bit before drinking, Link nodded in approval.

“Good thing I brought some cereal than!”

And with that Rhett took out a box of mini wheats from a bag that Link did not notice before.

“Agh they are my favourite! How did you know?”

Rhett was smiling proudly,  
“Couple of days ago I had a dream in which a wizard came over to me and whispered into my ear what your favourite cereal was.”

Link rolled his eyes. Rhett was hardly keeping in his laughter.

“Okay okay, I already knew you liked cereal and I just asked one of your roommates which one was your favourite.”

Link was wide-awake by then. He didn’t know if it was because of the coffee or Rhett himself. Rhett was just so thoughtful and sweet, the goofy smile on his face made him look even cuter and Link couldn’t handle it. His emotions wanted to burst out of him. He needed to talk to Rhett, as soon as possible.

But right now, he was going to enjoy some cereal with his hopefully-soon-to-be-boyfriend best friend. Because … cereal.

* * *

As they were cleaning up the kitchen, their hands kept brushing up to each other’s. Link had accustomed himself to Rhett’s touch. Rhett’s hands were big; he could easily wrap Link’s waist with just one of his hands. Not that he has done it or anything, but Link knew he could if he wanted to. His palms were soft and usually very sweaty, but his fingertips were rough. When Link first noticed it, Rhett explained to him that he had been playing guitar for years.

“You should really take care of your hands, bo. The cold weather is not helping them either. I have some hand lotion in my bag if you want it.”

Rhett just smiled to him in response and walked to the sofa in the living room with his coffee in hand.

As Link was enjoying his view from back in the kitchen, he once again realised that Rhett was only wearing his boxers.

“Also, aren’t you cold? It is freezing out here in the mountains and you are walking around half naked!”

“Okay, mom! I’ll get dressed when we are going out”

-

They decided to ski in the afternoon, with the pale sunshine lighting their paths. Neither of them was good at it. However, even though Link was a clumsy person in general, he did not suck at skiing that much; whereas Rhett was only a little better than him.  
After an hour or so, Link noticed Rhett winching at certain movements and not laughing as much. He knew about his back problems and he also knew that he was too proud to talk about it. So instead of asking if his back was okay, Link went over to him and said:

“Dude, I am kinda tried. Maybe we can take a little break?”

So, they both took off their skis and left them in the porch.

“I don’t wanna go in just yet. Do you want to, like, build a snowman, or something?”

Link smiled brightly to Rhett’s offer.  
“I would love that actually! I can’t even remember the last time I built a snowman.”

Thus, they spent the next couple of hours building a rather huge snowman right next to their cabin.

“We should name him!”

“Yeah, so that we can feel worse when it melts away. Naming things make you more sentimental about them you know.”  
Link didn’t want to bring down the mood; he was just being realistic.

“I know, I’ll name him … Herb!” Rhett announced with pride in his voice, totally ignoring what Link had just said.

Link simply rolled his eyes.

-

Link was really cold by the time they went inside, so he was the first to take a hot shower. Afterwards, as Rhett was in the shower, Link prepared hot cacao for both of them.  
Within a matter of minutes, they were sitting shoulder-to-shoulder on the sofa with mugs on their hands.

“First you take me to vacation, play silly games with me in the snow and then you make me hot cacao… Man, you are making it hard for me not to like you … in a romantic way I mean.” Rhett chuckled as he said this.

This was it, this was the time Link should come clean.

“Actually, I wanted to talk to you about … that.”

Rhett’s face fell. He put his mug on the coffee table and turned towards Link in an urgent movement.

“Oh, I’m sorry. It was just a joke. I am over it. Like I told you. I was … I was just joking.”

Link cut him off: “I don’t want you to be over it.”

Silence.

“Wha … what?”

Rhett looked so confused and nervous, Link couldn’t bear to look at his face. He too put his mug down, and without lifting his head he started talking:

“You were right when you said I wasn’t looking for a romantic thing when I met you. But, the best things in life come up unexpectedly, right? And you are, well, you are the best thing that has happened to me.”

God, this was all too cliché, but Link couldn’t help it.

“You are not just my best friend. This thing we have, it feels more _special_ than that, you know? It was hard for me to come to terms with it, as it made me question everything I thought I knew about myself, but I realised that … I like you too … in a more-than-friends way I mean. And I don’t want you to stop liking me like that either”

Link found the courage to lift his head up as he finished talking.

There were tears in Rhett’s eyes. Link must have made a questioning face when he saw it as Rhett declared: “I cry very easily okay! Don’t flatter yourself or anything” He was smiling as he wiped off the tears from his eyes.

Link kept looking at him expectedly, his heart racing in his chest.

“So, let me get this straight: Link Neal is asking _me_ to be his boyfriend?”

The smug smile on Rhett’s face assured Link that he hasn’t gotten over him and was ready to be more-than friends.

Link softly punched Rhett’s shoulder.

“Yes, you doofus. I am asking you out.”

“Then, I accept.” Rhett whispered, inching closer to Link on the sofa.

Link could feel how red his face has gotten, and his heart was threatening to jump out of his chest at any minute.

“I … I think, we are … uhh … supposed to … kiss now?”

Link felt so stupid but he was also so happy he did not care.

“Am I gonna be your first _gay_ kiss, Mr Neal?” Rhett asked in such a low voice, for a moment Link thought he just imagined it.

He swallowed hard before answering  
“yes”

They were so close now, and it was so quiet in the cabin, Link could almost hear Rhett’s heartbeat.

Rhett did not lean forward. Instead he closed his eyes, waiting for Link to make the move.

Link paused for a minute to take in the view: his best friend, right there in front of him, waiting for him to kiss him.

It felt so surreal.

If this was a dream he never wanted to wake up.

He closed his eyes and leaned in.


	10. Chapter 10

Rhett tasted like chocolate.

Link was aware that it wasn’t a perfect kiss. It was hesitant and sloppy, yet Link was content.

The beard felt … different. He was used to soft lips and fruity taste, while Rhett’s lips were chapped and his beard tickled.

Link did not let the kiss deepen, pulling away with his eyes still closed.  
He kept them closed for a while, taking it all in. The faint taste it left on his lips, the warmth that has replaced the butterflies in his stomach, the relief and the realness of it all.  
He felt a huge palm cupping his face from the right, and he melted into it. He opened his eyes to meet the most beautiful green-gaze he has seen in his life.

“That was … nice.” He whispered without moving his head.

“Yes, yes it was.” Rhett replied, still not breaking his gaze off of Link’s face.

As they kept looking at each other, Link’s mind started coming up with concerning thoughts and questions such as: was the kiss good enough for Rhett? Did Rhett really still like him back? What if he did something wrong while he was kissing him and now Rhett wasn’t telling him that because he did not want to make him feel bad? Are they properly boyfriends now? What did that mean? How would this affect their friendship? What if they break up over a fight and stop being friends all together? What if they don’t? Then what? They can’t get married, can they? How could he tell his mother that he was marrying a man? Wait, marriage?

Link shook his head in order to get rid of the thoughts. Which made Rhett retract his hand and look at him weirdly.

“Is everything okay?” He sounded so concerned, bless his heart.

“Yes, yes. I … I’m just gonna take these mugs back to the kitchen.”

He picked up the mugs from the table and started walking towards the kitchen.  
It wasn’t dinnertime, not yet. But as they haven’t eaten anything for lunch, Link thought it would be nice to have an early dinner.  
He called Rhett to the kitchen and they started taking out the canned foods. As they talked about what to eat, then argued about how to prepare it, but also joked around every-now-and-then,

Link realised how easy it was: having someone to cook meals with at the end of the day, not having to pretend to be someone you are not, having that trust with another person…

Falling in love with your best friend was the easiest and most ecstatic thing ever.

-

Somehow, Rhett convinced Link to have dinner on the porch.

“Come on! We came here for the snow, right? What can be better than enjoying a snowy forest view while we ate?”

It was freezing out.

The temperature has dropped even lower as the night approached and Link shivered as soon as he stepped out the door. He was wearing layers over layers of clothes that were guarantied to prevent him from freezing. They had 4 bottles of beer left and the alcohol helped to warm them up too.

They enjoyed their food while making up uncanny stories about the creatures that lived in the woods. Somehow, Rhett always ended up finishing his stories with supernatural beings taking over the world; whereas the creatures of the woods would have severe disagreements in Link’s stories. Rhett preferred happy endings. And he managed to turn even the most depressing of Link’s stories into nice ones. Link couldn’t understand how he was doing it. Rhett had such a vast imagination, it marvelled him.

As they have gone through the last bottles of beer and there was no more alcohol to warm him up, Link was starting to get cold.  
He decided to try something new, something small that would convince him that he was actually dating Rhett.

“Babe?”

His voice wasn’t that laud but Link knew Rhett had heard him because a soft smile settled on his face. Without turning to him he answered:

“Yes?”

Now Link had the same smile on his face, even though the cold hurt his muscles when he tried to smile.

“I am cold. Can we get inside now?”

Rhett turned to him then,  
“Of course, honey, whatever you want.”

Link wanted to smack that smile out of his boyfriend’s face.

_His boyfriend_

Link had forgotten all about the dishes, which meant Rhett had to carry them all inside.

They sat on the couch once more, their hands touching as they tried to settle in.

“Oh my goodness, you are freezing! Come here”

And with that Rhett wrapped a huge blanket around Link who was indeed very cold but now was laughing like a little kid.

As their laughter died down Link said:  
“I’ve brought some books with me, if you want to just, wind down?”

Rhett pretended to think hard about it,  
“If you’ll read out loud to me, deal.”

This boy was going to be the death of Link.

“Deal.”

Now, it was Link’s time to dally.  
“But I am so comfy under this blanket, and I can’t get up! Can you please bring the books?”

He tried to make his best puppy eyes,  
“Pleaseeee”

Rhett huffed but stood up anyway and disappeared. Couple of minutes later, he returned with a book on his hand.

“I want you to read this.” He held out the book to Link as Link reached out.

“The Hobbit?”

“Yes please” Rhett answered as he nestled next to Link.

So, they ended up going on adventures with a bunch of dwarfs and a hobbit with the guidance of a wizard. They read through almost half of the book, taking tea breaks every now and then.  
It was midnight again and Link’s voice and eyes were tired.  
Rhett must have noticed it too because he was the one to propose going to sleep this time.

As they put on their pjs, Link noticed that Rhett was -once again- only wearing boxers.

“Dude! You are gonna get sick if you don’t dress properly! And I don’t want you to spend your remaining holiday coughing in bed.”

“My body is used to it”  
He winked then, and climbed up to his bed.

Link rolled his eyes and went to the switch to turn the lights off. He was walking towards his own bed when he came up with another idea.

“Rhett?” he asked

A small “mhm” came from over Rhett’s bed.

“You know, it gets even colder at nights. Would you mind … ummm … sharing that body heat of yours with me?”

Even in the darkness he could sense the other man lifting his coverlet and scooching over.

So Link practically rushed towards the other bed and lied down next to … next to his boyfriend.

Rhett had moved his right arm out so that Link could rest his head on his chest. Link was grateful that he had. He made himself as small as he could and wrapped his arm around the taller man’s waist as he nestled his hand on the crook of his armpit. They snuggled under the blankets, soaking up each other’s smell.

“Much better” Link whispered as he let his eyelids drop.

He felt Rhett’s lips on his forehead,  
“Goodnight babe”

* * *

Link wanted to wake up before Rhett this time and he was successful.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself draped around a giant man with a beard who looked like an angel.  
Was Link really awake or was this just another dream?  
His own face was still buried on the other man’s chest. The steady rise and fall of his chest, the little noises he made as he breathed, his arm under Link…. It was all real.

Link tried his best not to wake him up as he got out of bed. He went to the bathroom first, washed his face and relieved himself.  
He prepared the coffee this time and also set the table for breakfast.  
It didn’t take long for the other man to wake up and get to the kitchen.

“Morning sunshine!” Link called, taking out the two mugs they had used yesterday.

“Morning!” Rhett was still yawning and ruffling through his messy hair.

Link was feeling bad for not having a surprise meal for Rhett like the surprise cereal Rhett provided yesterday. But, he had his own little plan to surprise him.

When Rhett approached to the counter, Link asked “Did you sleep well?” and then, without giving him a chance to reply, he rose up on his tippy toes and placed a little kiss on Rhett’s lips.

“Mhmmm” was Rhett response and his eyes had closed once more.

“Do I get another kiss when I answer?” He asked with a smirk on his face.

“Maybe” Link teased and proceeded to pour the coffee for both of them.

“Then, yes. It was an amazing night for me. You?”

Link turned to face him once more,  
“It was … nice.”

This time Rhett lowered his face and kissed Link. He lingered a bit more than Link had, but pulled away when Link put his hand over his jaw.

“Your beard tickles” he giggled.

“You’ll get used to it.” Rhett said with a wink.

-

They went out to ski after breakfast.

This time, they were better at it. They raced, fell down quiet a lot, raced some more –Rhett winning for the most part- and laughed a great deal.

They went back inside for a light lunch, but found themselves outside again as soon as they were done.

Herb was still standing; tall as ever, with a stupid smile on his face –which they have made with little twigs they had found in the woods.

“You wanna know what my favourite thing to do in the snow is?” Link asked when they were near Herb.

Rhett nodded.

So Link dropped himself to the ground, lying down completely and moving around his arms and legs.

Rhett was outright laughing now.

“Snow angels!” they yelled, simultaneously.

Rhett also dropped down next to Link, and they made some _very tall_ angels on the snow.  
Neither of them got back up though. Their laughter had sized but they were still lying in the snow.

Link reached out his left arm towards Rhett. Rhett reached out too and they clasped their gloved hands together.

The sky had such a light blue colour it almost looked white. There were no sound besides the faint humming of nature and it was truly peaceful.  
Link was enjoying this serenity when Rhett decided to break the silence,

“What are you thinking about?”

Normally, Link would try to monitor the things he’ll say before opening his mouth. But this time, he did not care.

“The fact that we have left the campus as best friends, and will return as boyfriends”

Link felt his face flushing and kept staring at the sky.

Rhett squeezed Link’s hand,

“You’re right. But we are also still best friends.”

Link squeezed his hand back.

* * *

Link -as both of them have guessed- was awfully cold by the time they were inside again. That’s why he was the one to take a hot shower first -again.

He let the warm water run through his body as he thought about what Rhett had said.

He was right: they were best friends. But now they were also something more.

What was that ‘more’ exactly?

Sex?

Link was still a virgin.

He didn’t know if it was because he was ‘saving himself for marriage’ or just never met the right person.

Was Rhett the one?

The story Greg told him a week ago popped into his head then. Rhett was probably more experienced than him. At least Link assumed they were intimate with Marcus…

What if Link would not be able to satisfy Rhett’s needs? What if he wants to take things a step forward and Link chicken outs? Link had urges –of course- and, well, masturbated before; but doing it with someone else…

He tried to push away these thoughts as he went into their room to get dressed.

This time, he attempted to prepare dinner as Rhett was in the shower. However, he failed miserably. Why was he so bad at cooking? He only needed to make some pasta and yet he was having trouble with just that.

“Awww, is my man cooking for me now?”  
Rhett walked in with a towel on his hands, drying his hair.

“Well, he wanted to. But I just, agh, suck at everything!”

Link could feel himself tensing up and getting angrier.

That’s when Rhett wrapped his arms around his waist from behind and placed his head on Link’s right shoulder.

“That’s okay babe.”

Link melted into his touch.

“We can suck at it together.”

“But you are good at everything, you jerk” Link said as he turned his face towards Rhett’s and ruffled his beard with his nose.

“Yeah… you’re right”

Rhett placed a kiss on Link’s nose before separating their bodies and taking the pot from Link’s hands.  
He put some water in it and turned on the stove. He did try to teach Link how to prepare pasta, but Link wasn’t sure if he could actually do it by himself. At least he did not have to find that out today, not when he had Rhett.

This time they found a documentary about penguins on TV and watched that as they ate.

It was their last night at the cabin.

It felt quite bittersweet actually. Link was sad that it was over but he was also satisfied.

He had talked to Rhett about his feelings and now they were watching TV together … as a couple.

When he thought back on how their last 3 days went, he couldn’t help but smile.

-

They did share Rhett’s bed that night aswell.

Link was a man of routine and he was getting dangerously used to sleeping next to Rhett.

How were they supposed to keep this up when classes began once more? When they were back at campus, back to their separate lives?

He turned around restlessly in bed, trying not to bother Rhett that much.  
He was usually quick to fall asleep, but today he was having difficulty.

“You want me to sing you to sleep?” Rhett whispered between half closed lips. His breath smelled like toothpaste.

Link smiled to himself,

“Would you?”

There was a moment’s silence.

“Of course. Anything for my bo”

He started singing a slow Lionel Richie song in a soft voice, as he tightened his grip around him.

Link let himself get absorbed by the hug and fell asleep to the sweet voice of his boyfriend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys... I am just so overwhelmed by all of your positive feedback! You have literally made my day (or week or even month) with all your sweet comments about this story.  
> I am super grateful that you are enjoying it and being so supportive <3  
> I hope this and the upcoming chapters won't disappoint you either :)


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trigger warning: homophobia

Link drove them back to campus the other day.

It wasn’t a terribly long drive but it wasn’t that short either. Thankfully their music taste matched, which meant singing country songs –and occasionally cheesy pop songs- together all the way.  
Rhett straightened up in the passenger seat when they clearly drove past Link’s dormitory

“What are you doing man? Did you forget the campus layout already? We passed your room”

Link smiled mischievously,  
“I know. I have to drop you off first.”

Rhett kept staring out the window,  
“I could have walked, you know.”

“I know” Link replied.

-

Rhett was clearly capable of carrying his luggage back to his room, but Link insisted on walking with him anyway.  
The small television screen showed the pause screen of a game, which meant Greg was there. However, he did not seem to be in the room when they walked in.

“So, ummmm, see you?”

Link felt stupid, as usual. Not knowing what to do or say was common for him yet he was still not used to this feeling-stupid -thing.

“Yea, thank you for accompanying me to my room”

Rhett had tossed his luggage to his bed and now was facing Link.

“I should get going I guess huh?”

Link did not want to leave though. He didn’t know what exactly he wanted, but he wanted Rhett to be there with him.

“Mhm-hıh” Rhett agreed as he walked towards Link,  
“But I still need to thank you properly for the whole vacation, you know”

And with that he shoved Link back towards the closed door and pinned him there.  
Rhett was now towering over him with a spark on his eyes.

“Oh? Well, I’m waiti…” Link teased but couldn’t actually finish his sentence as their mouths merged together.  
Link’s hands went up to the taller mans hair and he pushed his face deeper into his own.

Now this kiss was a lot more … passionate then their first one.

And it felt amazing.

Link couldn’t tell how long they have been kissing like that before he felt the door he was pinned against being pushed towards his back.  
So, in turn, he pushed Rhett away as he stumbled forward with the force of the door opening.  
It was Greg, who came in with a can of coke on one hand and a confused look on his face,

“What the hell man?”

Link looked at Rhett and saw how messy his hair was and how red his lips looked. He could only assume he himself looked similar. They looked at each other for a moment, and then started laughing.  
Greg literally just shrugged and walked towards the tv set.

“It’s cool by me if you want to make out in our room, but please don’t block the door next time.”

“Sorry” they answered at the same time with stupid smiles on their faces.

“I thought you guys weren’t a thing. What happened?”

They couldn’t see his face when he said this because he had already began playing the game again.  
Rhett looked at Link momentarily before speaking up,

“This boy right here, took me to a little vacation and asked me out. I guess nobody can resist this gem” He gestured towards his own body.

Link rolled his eyes –as per usual.

“Happy for you guys. Also happy that you are back Rhett. Cause I need you to play the multiplayer of this level with me.” Greg pointed towards the other controller sitting on the floor with his head.

“Guess I’ll be going then” Link said when he realised Rhett was actually getting excited about the videogame right now.

“okay. See you tomorrow?” Rhett asked averting his gaze from the screen back to Link’s face.

“Absolutely” Link answered.

Rhett did not forget to lean forward and kiss Link –as if finishing off what they had started minutes ago- before sitting next to Greg and picking up the controller.

* * *

For the remaining of the holiday, they did not have anything particular planned.

Sometimes they would spend the day playing video games in Rhett and Greg’s room, or go out of campus to find different places to eat. Link was not really the type of person looking for different options when it came to eating. He had food he liked and food he hated. He also knew where to get the food he liked, so he really had no need for new places. However, Rhett was not like that. He wanted to try out every single new food item he could think of. And Link enjoyed seeing Rhett getting hyped up just at the thought of food. Which made the whole thing enjoyable and worthwhile for Link aswell.

Rhett’s love for food had also affected Link’s dorm life.

Usually, a jar of peanut butter and some cereal was all Link needed in his room when it came to snacks. However, now he had all kinds of snacks; from sweet to savoury, healthy to unhealthy, everything. It was the cost of having a boyfriend whose stomach would start growling if it doesn’t receive food for more than an hour.

And since Link’s roommates were still on vacation, Rhett was over at Link’s room quite often.

They would listen to music, or –for the most part- read books. They had finished the remaining of “The Hobbit” and even got through “The Fellowship of the Ring”.

Rhett was not keen on reading so much as listening to Link read. Whereas Link was happy to be able to enjoy the company of his boyfriend while doing something he liked: reading.

Link would sit on his bed, his back resting against the wall; while Rhett laid his head on Link’s lap, legs dangling from the end of the bed. With one hand holding the book, Link would keep his other hand either on Rhett’s hair, ruffling through his golden locks, or on Rhett’s chest. Sometimes Rhett would even play with Link’s resting hand, inspecting his fingers one by one, planting little kisses on his hands- which usually meant he was getting a bit bored.

They were enjoying the world of Tolkien, on another one of those lazy days, when Link’s roommates came back from vacation.

They did knock before coming in, which gave Rhett time to get up from Link’s lap and sit next to him.  
Rhett had met them before –when he asked them about Link’s favourite cereal– but they haven’t had a proper chat.

“Oh, hello! You are here early”  
Link did not want to sound mean, but he had to admit he was a bit bummed out about his roommates returning.

“Yes, well, William picked me up too so we are both a bit early!”

“Yes, it’s good to be back! Though I didn’t know we’d have company”  
William added looking directly at Rhett.

“Ah, yes, well, I was leaving soon anyway. I had to … go to the bookstore to get my books for the upcoming semester. Also, you guys must be tired.”

Even though Rhett got along with people well, he seemed quite uncomfortable so Link did not say anything about his excuse.

“Oh and again thanks for the cereal advice. He loved it.” Rhett added, looking at Link this time.

“You’re welcome dude! Come over some other time and we can hang out.” Mark said as he put down his bags on his bed.

“Yea of course! Welcome back and, uhmm, see you guys around.”  
Rhett said walking towards the door where Link was standing now.

“See you tomorrow bo” Rhett whispered and planted a little kiss on his lips. Link smiled and responded, “Bye”

When he had shut the door and turned back around Mark and William were looking at him funny.

“What?” Link asked, baffled.

“What was that?” William asked in response.

“What was what?” Link had understood what they were talking about but needed them to say it nevertheless.

“That” Mark said, kinda pointing towards the door with his head.

“That was … Rhett. I thought you guys have met before.”

Link was playing dumb at the moment and all three of them knew it.

Link walked towards his own bed, putting the book they have left in midsentence to his nightstand.

“But you guys…. kissed?”

Link should have anticipated this. The only person who knew about his relationship with Rhett was Greg and he had been supportive from the start. Link didn’t know how to handle this. This has never happened before. He tried to remain calm, think rationally and speak his mind.

“Yes. People do kiss their significant other, don’t they?”

Both William and Mark were sitting down at Mark’s bed now.

“Wait, you guys are … dating?”

Link just nodded.

“So, you are …”

Mark didn’t finish his sentence, but William did it for him,

“… gay?”

“No … well … yes … I mean … we are both bisexual.”

“Is that just another fancy word people use instead of faggot?” Mark asked while elbowing William and making stupid, laughing noises.

“No. It means that I am attracted to both genders: females and males. And I happen to like Rhett enough to call him my boyfriend.”

Link had never used the word “boyfriend” when he referred to Rhett in a conversation. Yes, he had been calling him that to himself, but this was the first time he said it out loud.

“So you are just trying to tone down your gayness by mixing in females too.”

“And using fancy words for it.”

Now they were completing each other's sentences while laughing simultaneously.

Link knew better than to get in a fight with them. He lived with these two and he didn’t need a battlefield in his life.

“Wish you had told us beforehand that you were a faggot. Then, we could have asked for a normal roommate instead.”

They kept laughing and Link couldn’t stand it anymore.

“What is that suppose to mean? _“Normal”_ I am just as normal and as..”

But he was cut off by William’s outburst,

“No, you are not normal! You are not even natural! You are a disgusting being who should be treated or something.”

Link couldn’t believe the things he was hearing. He never knew he was living with such ignorant and rageful people.

“If you could just calm down and try to have an open mind…”

But he was cut off again, this time by Mark

“More open? If we had knew we were living with a _freak_ , we wouldn’t be this careless as we undressed or slept. I mean you have seen us half naked so many times. You were just lusting over us, weren’t you? I bet that’s why you’ve never told us that you were gay!”

Link could feel the tears forming around his eyes, but he did not want to cry in front of them. He did not want to seem weak or give them satisfaction in any way.

“Do not think that highly of yourselves! I could care less about you two! You think I wanted to live with two morons who are so ignorant that they think homosexuality is a disease? I’ll tell you what, go and educate yourselves before attacking people like this. And tell me when you are ready to apologize because I will not close my ears and put up with your crap.”

Without looking at them again he picked up his coat and walked out the room, slamming the door behind him.

And then he started crying, loud and ugly, as soon as he was out of the building.


	12. Chapter 12

People were staring at Link.

He knew how crazy he must have looked and he hated it. He raised the hood of his coat to his head, hiding his face as best as he could, trying to get his act together.

He knew that Rhett’s excuse was just that, an excuse. He was probably back at his room by now. Even if he wasn’t, Link couldn’t stay in public in this state. Worst case scenario, Greg would be there, and that was better than this.

He started walking towards Rhett’s dormitory, hiding his swollen face and thinking things through.

He did not know what to feel.

This has never happened before. He never had to defend himself like this and he didn’t know if he was strong enough.

He used to overthink a lot. He would think things through so thoroughly that he would be ready for most of the possible outcomes. It was one of the joys of having anxiety. However, ever since he met Rhett, he had gotten better. He was not overthinking as much as he used to, because Rhett took up most of his mind. He was like a huge sun casting out the shadows of Link’s unhealthy mind –and Link was forever grateful for that. But now, not thinking things through has gotten him into this mess and Link was feeling worse than ever.

When he was at the door of Rhett and Greg’s room, he paused for a minute. He didn’t know why. His mind had gone blank and his sight was blurry because of all the tears.

He knocked before opening the door.  
Rhett was standing next to his desk, putting stuff away or something. He threw a glance at the door but kept his attention on his books.

“Oh, hey babe.”

Only after closing the book in front of him did he turn towards Link.

“Miss me alre…” but he didn’t finish his sentence when he actually looked at Link.

“Link!?”

Link had never heard Rhett’s voice like this. He sounded so worried; it broke Link’s heart even more. And after trying to hold in the tears on the way here, he just let go.  
He was crying again and did not care to hide it.

“Are you okay? What happened? Are you hurt? Talk to me Link, damnit!”

Rhett had rushed towards him and was inspecting his body for injuries: lifting his head up to check his neck, pulling up his sleeves to check his wrists and even pulling up his shirt to see his chest.

Link tried to speak between his sobs,

“No, I’m fine. … I mean I’m not hurt. … I mean my body is fine.”

He wasn’t making any sense and he knew it.

So he just threw himself to Rhett and buried his head on his chest. Rhett wrapped his arms around him, hugging a bit too tightly.

“Shhhh. I’m here, don’t worry, I’m here.”

Link kept crying and hating himself for it.

After a while Rhett pushed him away lightly and lifted Link’s head with his hand to look at him in the eyes.  
Link thought he was going to say something, but he didn’t. He took his hand away from Link’s chin and used his thumb to wipe the tears from his face.  
Link smiled softly.

“Come here. Take your coat off and sit down. Do you want some water?”

Rhett guided Link towards his bed and helped him sit down.

“No, uhm, thanks.” Link muttered.

Rhett sat next to him.

“Okay, now, tell me what happened.”

Link couldn’t think properly, not yet, so he just said,

“Mark and William”

Rhett looked confused for a moment, but then his face looked apologetic.

“Oh, they … they didn’t know about us, huh?”

Link nodded.

“What did they do? Did they hurt you?”

Link tried to clear his throat and shake off his nerves before speaking,

“They, uhmm, they said stuff about me being a freak and wanting a normal roommate instead. They said I needed to be cured.”

Rhett was listening to him silently, yet Link could see the rage building up inside of him. He looked truly angry by the time Link finished telling him what had happened.

“I’m gonna kill them.” Rhett muttered first, then raised his voice,  
“I knew they were no good. And now they are making you cry and making you leave your own room?! I’ll make them pay for it.”

He was –either subconsciously or knowingly, Link couldn’t’ tell-getting up to walk towards the door, but Link pulled him back from his arm.

“No, no, please, don’t go”

Rhett sat back down.

“But they bullied you and now they are getting away with it!”

Rhett’s voice was still loud, but Link tried to calm him down

“I don’t know, they could have been a lot harsher, I guess. They didn't harm me physically way at least. Though, yes, it was still … bad. I mean, I never had to defend _being myself_ , you know. I didn’t even know I was … this way. They called me faggot and all. Maybe I’m just overrating. It could have been worse.”

He sniffled, reaching for the tissue Rhett was holding out for him.

“No. No. No. Don’t ever say that. They are the guilty part here. You shouldn’t be the one to feel sorry. Yes, it could have been worse but it shouldn’t be this bad in the first place.”

Link knew Rhett was right. But it did not help making him feel any better.

-

Rhett made them both some camomile tea and turned on the tv. There was a game show airing, so they watched that in silence.  
Greg came back at some point.

“Ah. Hey Link!”

“Hey”

He did not pay much attention to them, so they just kept watching the tv.

“Are you hungry?” Rhett asked when the commercials came up.

“No, not really. You?”

“Nope. I actually had a burger on my way back from your room.”

That’s when Link remembered something.

“Oh” he breathed out, more to himself rather than to Rhett.

“What is it?” Rhett turned to him.

“I might have done something stupid on my way out. I said I wouldn’t talk to them until they apologize.”

After a beat of silence, Rhett said

“That’s not stupid, that’s good.” and swung his arm around Link.

“Yes but how am I suppose to go back to my room? I mean, they hate me and I hate them. We share that room and I am outnumbered..…”

“You can stay here?”

Rhett suggested, casually.

“But, I don’t have any of my stuff with me”

Link didn't like being away from his accustomed surroundings without any preparation. That's why he was good at organising events; he avoided spontaneousness.  

“You can barrow Rhett’s pjs, he never wears them anyway.” Greg chimed in from over his bed.

“Yea, Greg’s right. You can get away with not brushing your teeth for a day! Just, stay over. Come ooonnnnn”  
Rhett both looked and sounded like a little child, asking for a toy.

“Okay, okay. I’ll try my best not to freak out though. I don’t like being unprepared and all.”

Yes, Link was not comfortable staying over at someone else’s place unprepared, but he was not ready to go back to his room either. Also he liked spending the nights with Rhett.

“Where am I going to sleep though?” Link asked, thinking maybe Rhett wouldn’t want him in his bed this time, with Greg around and all.

“In my bed, of course! Unless you prefer sleeping next to Greg. I’m cool with that too.”

The smirk on Rhett’s face made Greg throw a pillow at him.

“No, I meant, will we even fit on that?”

“It’s not any smaller than the bed we shared in that cabin.”

Rhett was right, of course. Rhett was always right.

-

Greg had gone to sleep before them, and it was pitch black outside.

“I think these’ll fit you.” Rhett tossed Link a blue pyjama pants and a white t-shirt. Link must have been looking weirdly at the t-shirt because Rhett added,

“I have a woollen blanket and I’ll be lying right next to you. You won’t get cold.”

Link changed into the pjs while Rhett was in the bathroom. When Rhett saw him he just said

“My clothes look good on you.”

He himself was wearing a black boxer and a white t-shirt.

Rhett looked good –as always. But this time it was a different type of good. His hair was not as messy as it gets in the morning, but not as sleek as it is through out the day either. It was … natural. His legs were tall, almost as tall as some of the people Link knew. And at the base of those legs was … the black boxer. Link tried not to stare, but failed.

He wondered if Rhett -or himself- would try to get things further tonight. They were going to share a bed again and this time they weren’t away at a foreign place. Was Link ready? And what about Greg? He seemed to be fast asleep but wouldn’t he wake up to the sounds?

Rhett climbed up to his bed and settled on the left side, leaving place for Link to fit next to him. Link joined him. He turned off the light on the nightstand but did not lie down immediately.

“Is everything alright?” Rhett sounded sleepy already so maybe they wouldn’t try anything tonight?

“Yes. Thank you for letting me stay over.”

“Of course babe. Now can we just sleep?”

Link lied down, turning his face towards Rhett.

“I don’t know what I’ll do without you.” he whispered, his breath brushing off Rhett’s beard.

Rhett leaned in a little and kissed Link. This time he tasted like minty toothpaste. He wondered what his own breath was like as he wasn’t able to brush his teeth that night.

He found himself pulling Rhett towards himself, pressing their bodies together. Rhett’s hands were dangerously close to his butt and Link wondered what it would feel like if he were to slide them down.

But he wasn’t going to find out tonight. Rhett pulled away and looked at Link with half open eyes. Link just stared at him.

“No but really, are you okay?”

Link realised his eyes were getting teary again and he hated it. He hated himself.

He nodded,

“I just, ugh, don’t know, tired?”

Rhett kissed him once more and put his hands through Link’s messy hair as if he was petting him.

“Then let’s just go to sleep, okay? I don’t want you to wake up tomorrow feeling bad or regretting anything you did today.”

He hugged Link, tightly, his hand still on his hair.

Link could feel his stupid tears dampening Rhett’s t-shirt but Rhett did not pull away. So Link tried to empty his mind and fall asleep.

* * *

Next morning, Rhett convinced Link to go out for pancakes.

“Just like our first ever date”

When they get to the café, they did not sit across from each other this time. They sat next to each other, legs touching and shoulders bumping.

Usually Link would observe how people look at him and so on, while worrying about what they thought of him. However when he was with Rhett, he did not care about the people around. They were giggling and touching a lot, in public. -which was something past-Link would never dare to do.

As they were sipping their coffee’s waiting for their breakfast to arrive, a familiar voice called out their name,

“Link? Rhett?”

It was Molly.

They greeted her and invited her to their table. She sat across from them and opened up his hands like she was expecting something.

Link and Rhett looked at each other.

“What?” Link asked, laughing nervously.

“Soooo… is this the reason you said Rhett was not interested? Because you were after him yourself?”

Molly had a mischievous smile on his face, but not even a hint of disgust -unlike Mark or William.

“Wha..? No, no. I did ask him, I swear!”

Molly laughed,

“Yeah right. You don’t have to lie to me!”

She playfully hit Link’s arm.

“Oh, I can vouch for him. He did ask me.”

Rhett joined, saving Link from embarrassing himself. 

“Hmm, okaay” Molly nodded to herself, still smiling.

“So you are trying to tell me this is not … a date?”

She looked like she was having fun while Link could feel his cheeks reddening. He tried to hide it by lowering his face, smiling shyly.

“Nope. This is definitely a romantic breakfast.”

Rhett said this so proudly, Link had to raise his head to look at his face.

“We’ve been dating for a while now. But at the time he told me about you, we were just friends.”

“Uhhhh Did I kinda initiate your relationship? Made Link jealous and helped him find the nerve to confess his love for you at last?”

Now, Molly was definitely having way too much fun. And Link knew he was as red as a tomato.

“I wouldn't know! You should ask him.” Rhett said, tugging at Link’s arm.

That’s when their food arrived.

Molly ordered some pancakes aswell and they had a cheerful breakfast together.

-

As they walked out the café, pleased about their run in with Molly, Link noticed that they weren’t walking back to Rhett’s room.

“Where are we going?” he asked.

“To the stadium” Rhett answered, looking straight ahead.

When they got to the stadium, it wasn’t as crowded as usual. The winter cold was still a factor and apparently most people preferred being indoors.

“It was nice spending time with Molly, wasn’t it?” Rhett broke the silence that accompanied them through their little walk.

“Yea, it was.”

“That’s how friends are supposed to be.”

Link looked at Rhett with a puzzled look on his eyes. Rhett continued,

“She was rational and did not try to make you feel bad about dating a boy. She even made jokes! She could have lashed out about you not setting me up with her but instead she blessed our relationship. If your roommates are not capable of that, then they are not your friends. And they certainly do not deserve you.”

Rhett was right, Link knew he was right but he didn’t know what to do about it.

“So what, I’ll just stay mad at them forever? Not talk to the people I share my living space with?”

Rhett took Link’s hand into his own.

“No … well … I don’t know. I am not a freakin life coach! If it were up to me, I would have beaten them up or something.”

Rhett smiled goofily,

“But I know you. And I care about you. This –he gestured nowhere in particular– is not healthy! Talk to them. Try to make them understand. If all of it fails, you can always count on me to help you out.”

Just as Link was getting teary eyed again, Rhett punched him, jokingly, but still making Link fall back a bit.

“Oww! What was that for?” Link laughed, rubbing his arm.

“Nothing. It just got a bit too emotional so I am doing something stupid to lighten up the mood again.”

Rhett was laughing too.

So Link punched him in return.


	13. Chapter 13

The term break was over and the classes had begun again.  
The weather was getting hotter and midterms were approaching.  
Link was also about to move out of his dorm room.  
Mark and William haven’t talked to him ever since that day, even though Link had tried to start a conversation once or twice.They had also asked for a different roommate, giving some other reason than “our roommate is gay and we are ignorant homophobes”. Link didn’t know what they had given as the reason but somehow it had gotten through and he was scheduled to move to another 3-person room. If he could get a 2-person room he could have been in the same building as Rhett…. But he was getting rid of Mark and William, and that was enough for Link.

Because of the midterms, he didn’t see Rhett as often. He had to study and Rhett understood that. Rhett had to study as well, but it was a mystery whether he actually did study or not… Link had even suggested studying together couple of times, but they usually ended up playing footsie under the table. He loved spending time with Rhett but didn’t want to lower his GPA either. He loved the subject he was studying and wanted to do his best.

Also, not being together with your boyfriend 24/7 was a healthy thing. It meant they had more to look forward to for when they see each other.

After all, absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?

They did talk to each other on the phone though, basically every day. But with Rhett’s basketball practises and Link’s classes, they could meet in person less than they wished.

However, after the midterms were over, their workload had lightened up a bit. Which meant they could meet up more often.

They had started going out for dinner frequently once again and -as they knew each other’s schedules- they could also meet between their classes.

Furthermore, Rhett had offered to help Link move out of his room. In doing so, he had also convinced Link to bring some of his essentials to his and Greg’s room so that he can stay over more.

They still haven’t had sex.

That’s why even though Link was excited to spend more time with Rhett in his room, he was also anxious.

They’ve been dating for a couple of months now and they’ve been taking things slow and steady. But what if Rhett was ready for more? What if he _wanted_ more? Was Link ready?

So when -on a Friday- Rhett asked him to stay over, Link hesitated.

“What’s wrong? I thought all your exams were over”

Link didn’t answer immediately.

They were already in Rhett’s room and Link had his essentials there already. So there was really nothing to give as a reason then the truth.

“Sorry, yes, nothing’s wrong. I’m just being weird again I guess. That’s all.”

Or just mumble nonsense as usual.

He leaned forward to kiss Rhett,

“I’d love to spend the night here”

Rhett talked about his latest interest all evening long: space. He talked about this new student club he had joined, all the new people he had met and mentioned a lot of trivial facts about Milky Way.

“I am tired, can we go to bed early today?”

Link wasn’t looking forward to sleeping, he kept thinking about the lack of sexual intimacy between them. Also, Rhett didn’t look so tired, but Link was. (after listening to his boyfriend talk about space for hours)  
So they changed into their pjs –this time Rhett’s boxers were green– and climbed into bed.

Greg was out, probably at a party or something. It was more silent than usual without Greg’s quiet snores.

Rhett opened up one of his arms, waiting for Link to drape himself around his body. That was their usual pose when they shared a bed. And none of them have complained about it. Until now that is.  
Instead of lying down Link rested on his elbow, his body faced towards Rhett.

“What?” Rhett asked,  
“Is there something on my face?”

He started making stupid faces making Link laugh.

“No, you silly” Link reached out to take one of Rhett’s hands.  
“I just … I need to tell … well ask you something.”

Rhett also rose up to rest on his elbow.

Link took a deep breath before locking eyes with Rhett.

“You do know that I love you, right?”

Rhett’s face soften. He smiled, with a tiny spark in his eyes.

“Yes, and I love you.”

They stared at each other for some time. It was dark, yet the streetlights were casting a lazy yellow light through the windows, illuminating their faces.

“Uhmm, so, are you happy?”

 _What kind of question was that?!_ Link cursed his own mouth as he tried to rephrase his question.

“I meant, are you happy … in this relationship, with me?”

Rhett rose up fully, sitting cross-legged, barely fitting his whole body between the wall and Link. Link rose up to sit upright as well.

“Of course. Aren’t you?”

Link should have expected this answer, yet he didn’t have an answer ready.

“Of course I am! I was just worried, if you … ummm … were bothered by the fact that … ummm … we haven’t, you know …. _you know_ ”

“Had sex yet?” Rhett suggested, raising his left eyebrow.

Link could only nod, averting his gaze from Rhett’s face to his own hands.

Rhett took Link’s head in his hands and lifted it so that they were looking straight into each other’s eyes.

“I. Love. You.” Rhett repeated, articulating each word.  
“A relationship does not equal sex. And I know that you’ll let me know when you are ready because I know you. I am not going to pressure you into doing anything you don’t want to.”

Rhett’s eyes were a bit teary now, just like Link’s. He tried to avert his eyes but Rhett jerked his head back up.

“Look at me. I want you. I want your whole body and soul. But sex is not the reason I love you. It is just something that comes as a prize. And let me tell you, when I unwrap my prize I won’t be the only one who enjoys it.”

Link laughed, putting his own hands on top of Rhett’s hands.

“Okay?” Rhett asked.

“Okay.” Link replied.

Rhett closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to Link’s.

Link felt ready now.

If there was anyone whom he wanted to get intimate with, it was Rhett. He trusted him and loved him enough to have sex with him.

Oh and that body… Rhett has been working out even more because of the basketball games that were coming up and it showed.

Link didn’t know if it was because he was his boyfriend but for him, Rhett was the most handsome boy in school. And right now, sitting right in front of Link, in his stupid little boxer revealing what’s underneath it…

Link’s body was heating up, despite his cold nature, and it probably wasn’t because of the temperature of the room.

He started kissing Rhett on his cheeks, softly. Then slowly made his way down to his neck.

Rhett had trimmed his beard but it wasn’t shaven off completely. And it still tickled Link.

Link could feel Rhett’s pulse with his lips. Rhett had tilted his head back and was groaning mildly.  
The sound made Link even bolder and he bit into the flesh of Rhett’s neck, thriving on the reaction he got from him. He licked the area smooth again, tasting him.

Then Link slowly separated their faces, positioning himself to lie down again. As Rhett put his hands on either side of Link, Link lowered himself down to the bed.

Bam!

With a stupidly loud noise, Link hit his head on the headboard of the bed.

“Oww!!”

He was laughing as he rubbed his head but it did actually hurt.

Rhett was laughing as well, pulling Link’s body downwards on the bed so that he could fit properly.

“I am such a clumsy idiot!” Link whined,

“Yes, but you are my clumsy idiot.”

Rhett pressed down on Link again, returning the favour by licking and nibbling at Link’s neck.

Link knew he was getting hard but when their groins touched and he felt Rhett, he almost gasped out loud.  
Rhett was hard too and he was right on top of him.

Link couldn’t resist; he thrust himself forward, making his erect dick collide with Rhett’s.  
Now he was wishing he didn’t have pyjama pants on, just like Rhett.

“And you were asking _me_ if I was saddened by the absence of sex”  
Rhett mocked as he kept rocking their bodies together.

“Just … shut up and kiss me” Link ordered and Rhett bent forward once more, obliging him.

That’s when the door opened wide, along with the lights turning on.

“Agh, guys, come on! At least put a sock on the door or something! Or give me a heads up so I don’t come back to the room. God!”  
Greg walked in, clearly drunk. Even though he complained, he didn’t seem to care about the situation he caught them in.

Link was frustrated. But, he was also too self-conscience to continue making out with Rhett in the presence of someone else.  
So they both laughed as Rhett lied down next to Link once more.

“Another time, baby” Rhett whispered into Link’s ear with a hoarse voice, making Link shiver.

Greg turned off the light before crashing into his own bed.

A rather restless sleep was awaiting Link.

* * *

That weekend, Link was alone in his room.

One of his (new) roommates had gone back to their hometown, while the other one had said that he was going to be staying over at a friend.

So this time, Link invited Rhett to stay the night.

Rhett had some homework to do and -somehow- Link was able to convince him to do it. While Rhett did his homework, Link studied a bit too.  
After they had some sandwiches for dinner, they were sitting on the floor drinking coke.

“So, how about tonight?” Rhett asked, glancing at Link for a brief second.

Link didn’t know what Rhett was talking about.

“Tonight?”

“Yea. Last time we were cut short by Greg.”

Oh. _That_.

Link had thought about that night so many times, it felt more like a dream he memorised in order not to forget it.  
And he was ready for more.

“Yes, well, we won’t get disturbed tonight.”

Link took a sip from his drink.

“Also, thank you for being understanding. I appreciate that you were willing to … wait … for me to be ready.”

“Of course” Rhett replied not really focused on Link but fiddling with a piece of paper instead.

“I didn’t want to come on too strong either, given your past sufferings.”

That’s when Rhett raised his head to look at Link. He looked confused.

“My past sufferings?”

Link wished he hadn’t said anything in the first place.

“Yes. I mean, what you had to go through with Marcus. You know, I didn’t want to push you into doing anything you didn’t want.”

Rhett didn’t say anything. He just kept staring at Link with the same exact look on his face.

“I mean … I am not experienced … in this … in relationships I mean. And I was scared that I might hurt you; physically or emotionally. I don’t want you to go through … uhm … the struggles you had to go through because of … uhm … Marcus.”

Link’s voice died down with every word because he knew he was basically babbling.

But the silence was just as unbearable.

“Just, forget I even said anything. Let’s … move on.”

Rhett was getting up to his feet already.

“What … where … how did you learn about me and Marcus?”

Link stood up as well, so that they were on the same level.

“I ran into Greg. We were talking and, well, he told me about it.”

“When?”

Rhett sounded pissed and Link didn’t like it. He was getting angry himself too –not really knowing why-

“At the beginning of the term break. Why are you making this out to be a huge deal anyway?”

“So before we started dating?”

“Yes.”

Link didn’t know where this was going.

“Wait, so let me get this straight: I came clean about my feeling for you and you didn’t say anything, didn’t show any sign of disgust nor say anything about how you felt towards me. But then you learned about my _tragic past_ and you felt sorry for me? Is that why you decided to date me?”

Link’s breath was caught in his throat.

“Wha … what? No, of course not.”

Rhett raised his eyebrows,

“I mean, of course I felt sorry for you but that’s not the reason why I asked you out!”

Rhett shook his head,

“So is that why you had to wait till you learn about my past relationships? Is that when you decided you loved me or is that when you decided you needed to _help_ me? I can’t believe you’ve been dating me out of pity!”

“Yea because everything in the universe is about you, isn’t it? Everything revolves around you so of course it had to be because I pitied you!”

Link was so angry he couldn’t control the things that were coming out of his mouth.

“No no no, you got it _all_ wrong! Link Neal is the centre of the universe! He has to make everything right and needs to know everything is under his control. Oh, Rhett had a bad relationship I need to pretend I have feelings for him too so that he won’t feel bad about coming out to me. Oh I am so in control, I am making everything better.”

Rhett was making an imitation of Link’s voice and it only made Link more furious.

“Yes, I might like being in control but this has nothing to do with that. This is all about you being an egoistic jerk who is exaggerating things as usual!”

Rhett did not say anything. He just shook his head again and walked out the door.

Link didn’t shout after him, he didn’t move, he didn’t cry.

He did nothing.

He kept standing where Rhett had left him and just stared at the door.

He didn’t think, he didn’t cursed at himself or Rhett.

He felt nothing.

And nothing was the worst thing there could be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter was a bit of a roller coaster, but i hope you enjoyed it nevertheless!
> 
> Would you guys want things to get more steamy in the upcoming chapters, or should i keep it more "sfw"?
> 
> I couldn't be sure so I'm asking you :D
> 
> I tried to write a bit of a smutty part in this chapter, so if you liked it and want more please let me know! Or I could also just keep things in a more fluffy way
> 
> Anyways, i am grateful that you are still reading this! Thank you ^_^


	14. Chapter 14

It was springtime and the sun was shining. Even though classes were not over, the students were not as worried about lessons as they were in the fall semester.

A lot of new relationships were beginning and love was in the air.

Link hated it.

There were couples walking hand in hand, couples making out in every frekin corner and just generally people laughing and being happy.

Even though he and Rhett did spend a lot of time together in public -acting stupidly in love, unaware of how obvious they were-, they have never made out. They didn’t even hold hands in public. Link knew that Rhett wasn’t the one who had a problem with it. It was Link. He was still paranoid about what people might think of them. Now, seeing all these couples together, he wished he had been braver.

It didn’t matter now anyway.

He hasn’t seen Rhett since their ‘fight’, which was a week ago.

Link tried to concentrate on his classes instead.

He didn’t know if this meant their relationship was over for good, or if this was just temporary. He kinda didn’t want to find out.

Even though he tried to act normal through out the days, his friends must have noticed something was wrong. Only Molly had known about him and Rhett, so it was natural that she’d be the one to investigate the situation. After one of their class, Molly suggested having dinner together. They went to a little café type of place inside the campus and ordered salads for themselves. As they ate, Molly swiftly brought up Rhett into their conversation.

“So … how are things with Rhett?”

She looked at Link expectedly as she took another bite from her salad.

“I don’t know” Link answered.

He couldn’t find the strength in him to lie, so he was telling the truth: that he didn’t know.

“I haven’t seen him for a while you know” Molly continued, clearly suspecting that something was wrong.

“Yeah? Well, that makes the two of us.”

Link didn’t intent to be this sarcastic, but he couldn’t help it.

“What happened?”

Molly seemed unfazed by Link’s attitude and Link knew he could confide in her. So he told her about the fight –leaving out the details about Marcus and Rhett’s story. Molly was a curious person in general, but she didn’t try to dig into the whole story about Marcus. She was okay with ‘a tragic past relationship’.

“So, you learned about a ‘tragic memory’ of Rhett, _from someone else_ , and never considered to talk to himself about it?”

Link looked at her blankly.

“Yes?” He felt threatened somehow,

“But he called me selfish and accused me of dating him out of pity!”

Molly raised her eyebrows allusively and put down her fork.

“Were you?”

Link couldn’t believe she was asking him this.

“Of course not! I was dating him because I love him.”

He had never said that out loud.

_I love him._

But it was true, wasn’t it? He loved Rhett with everything he had and he had never even said this to him. And now they weren’t talking to each other because of s stupid argument.

Molly must have realized that Link had understood what she was hinting at, so she picked up her fork once more and continue eating.

“I need to talk to him, don’t I?”

Link sounded defeated. He knew he wasn’t good at apologizes.

Molly nodded.    

“What would you do without me?” she joked, smiling proudly.

* * *

Even though Link had left Molly’s company determined, he had lost that feeling by the time he was back at his room.

He did want to make up with Rhett, he wanted his boyfriend back; but he wasn’t ready to confront him yet.

He was a coward, that’s why.

He let himself drop to his bed, face buried in his pillow, and screamed. He screamed knowing the pillow will muffle the sound, as he also punched the bed.

This was unbearable. He needed to do something.

He put on his jacket again and walked out.

It was night time so the street lights were on, there were not that many people either.

Link walked slowly, his head low; trying to prepare a speech, to decide on what to say to Rhett.

Under one of the streetlights he saw a chubby cat, sitting on a bench.

It was yellow and light brown, with beautiful eyes. It looked sleepy yet it also meowed voicelessly towards Link.

“Hi there gorgeous! How are you this fine evening?”

He sat next to the cat and began petting it.

She was so chubby and soft.

“You are so beautiful, yes you are”

She was purring now, eyes slightly closed; which made Link smile stupidly.

He started talking to it about his problems.

It was dark and the cat didn’t seem to mind.

She stretched out beneath Link’s touch.

“Yea, so I don’t really know what to tell him, you know. Oh, you like that huh?”

Link made some funny noises with his mouth as he pet the purring cat.

“Wanna get a room you two?”

He turned around to find Rhett looking at him with his hands in his jacket’s pockets.

“Rhett!?”

He wasn’t sure how his voice sounded but frankly, he didn’t care.

“Nice to see that you moved on quickly.”

Rhett said pointing to the cat with his head.

“Well actually it might just be a one night stand. We just met you know.”

Rhett chuckled.

Link smiled as well. He couldn’t believe Rhett was actually here, talking to him. He scooched over to make room for Rhett on the bench.

The cat was still sleeping next to him-on his left- but now, Rhett was sitting next to him as well –on his right-.

Link could feel his heart starting to beat faster. He tried to calm down by breathing consciously. What was he going to say to him?

Before Link could open his mouth, Rhett leaned over Link in order to pet the cat.

As he was petting the cat, Link got to smell the familiar smell of him. Their bodies were barely touching, the zipper of Rhett’s jacket brushing Link’s legs. After a while Rhett stood tall again, making Link yearn for his warmth instantly.

“What are you doing here?”

Link asked, trying not to show his excitement.

“Well, actually, I was coming over to your room. What are you doing here?”

“I was on my way to _your_ room.”

They kept quiet then, only the purring of the cat brave enough to pierce the silence of the night.

“Why … why were you coming to my room?”

Rhett asked, not really looking at Link.

“I … I wanted to talk. You know, about … about … you know.”

Link regretted not having a speech planned.

“Okay. I’m here now. What did you want to say?”

Link looked up at Rhett when he answered,

“Wait, why were _you_ coming to my room?”

“The same reason as you! Now can you tell me what you wanted to say?”

“You first!” he insisted, not knowing what to say, not just yet.

“Okay.”

Rhett turned fully towards Link.

“I wanted to say that I am sorry. I’m sorry that I got mad so suddenly and didn’t let you explain yourself.”

Link was taken aback. He hesitated for a moment. Then, silently, he spoke

“I’m sorry too.”

Rhett didn’t say anything.

“I’m sorry for not letting you know that I knew about you and Marcus. And, well, I know I can be a control freak sometimes and I don’t blame you for calling that out. I am trying to get better and actually, you being there by my side help tremendously. I don’t know what I would do without your constant support.”

Link was avoiding eye contact.

“Oh baby, I actually like how organized you are. And I know that you are trying your best… I didn’t really mean what I’ve said. I was just really pissed that you brought up Marcus out of nowhere. I didn’t even know you knew about … that. How … what exactly do you know anyway?”

Link didn’t want to make things worse by speaking even more about Rhett’s past. But not giving him an answer wouldn’t be any better than speaking. So he said,

“I just know that it didn’t end happily. And, that, Marcus wasn’t … good to you.”

Link waited for a reaction but Rhett didn’t speak. He seemed lost in his thoughts and Link didn’t like it.

“Rhett?”

This time he looked at Link.

“Well, that’s pretty much it. I don’t like talking about it, you know. It’s not easy to think about it let alone talk… I’m still not sure about how I feel about Marcus. Greg has helped me a lot, even though I was angry at him at first. He helped me see things straight, but … I don’t know. You bringing him up out of nowhere and knowing about it in the first place… just threw me off. I didn’t know if I could … trust you. You can just ask me whatever you need to know or talk to me about anything. Don’t go behind my back and all, okay? And also, don’t bring Marcus up again like that, please.”

Link nodded, taking Rhett’s hands into his own.

“I won’t. You can trust me.”

Rhett smiled at him.

“And I’m sorry that I accused you of dating me out of pity. That was … harsh. But I thought about it –a lot– and a part of me has to know for sure: you are not dating me out of pity, are you?”

He sounded so broken Link wanted to kill whoever made him feel like that. But that person was Link.

Now he had another chance, a chance to make things right again. This time, he was not going to mess things up.

“No, of course not. I am dating you because … because I love you.”

The cat had gone to sleep, taking away the soft purring sound from the silence. So now it was just Rhett and Link, sitting on a bench in the middle of the night.

“I love you too.”

Link’s heart swelled up with warmth and so much joy that he couldn’t help but plunge forward.

He swallowed up Rhett’s body in a huge hug and Rhett wrapped his whole body around Link’s. Rhett’s arms were long enough to wrap around Link’s torso fully and Link loved it. He realized just how much he’d missed this, missed Rhett.

He broke free from the hug and merged their mouths together in a long due kiss.

Rhett tasted like burgers this time, and Link was reminded once more why he loved this dork so damn much.

He also realized this was the first time they were actually kissing in public. Yes it was dark and really no one was outside, but still…

“I missed you so much.”

He confessed in between kisses.

“I missed you more.”

Rhett answered, out of breath.

“Not as much as I did”

Link teased with a smirk, still kissing Rhett.

“Nope, I’m pretty sure I missed you more.”

Link pulled away from the kiss,

“Not everything has to be a competition you know.” He told Rhett, still smiling.

“I know. But if it were, I would have won.”

Rhett’s face was so smug and Link could keep bickering… But he was after something else tonight.

He shook his head dismissively and kissed Rhett once more.

He was getting braver with every time he dove back in after separating their lips in order to breathe.

He stood up slightly before throwing his left leg over Rhett’s legs and sitting on his lap.

Rhett seemed surprised but didn’t complain.

He started kissing down the line of Rhett’s neck, biting occasionally, yearning for the growling sounds he receives from Rhett. He could feel his hardening dick pressing against Rhett’s thighs.

Rhett’s hands slid all over Link’s body, cupping his ass with a swift motion. His fingers were digging into Link’s pants and pulling him closer to his own body gradually.

Link moaned, louder than he had expected; the sensation of their dicks touching and Rhett’s hands on his ass making him forget where they are.

“I want you” Rhett whispered into Link’s ear, making the front of Link’s pants dampen.

Link had never felt like this before. But he knew that he was more than ready to give himself to Rhett.

“Then take me.” He replied, rocking their bodies together, his hands tangled in Rhett’s dirty blond hair.

It seemed like Rhett was having trouble talking but Link heard him nevertheless,

“But maybe … ahhh yes … we should … oh god … go to my room or something.”

That’s when Link remembered where they were. He was making out furiously with his boyfriend … outside?

With panic he got up to his feet, his head dizzy.

“Yes, yes we should.”

He smiled to Rhett before taking his hand and rushing towards Rhett’s room.

They were practically running now but Link didn’t mind.

They couldn’t get to Rhett’s bed sooner.

-

Greg was not in the room –fortunately. And this time they did put a sock on the doorknob.

Link walked towards Rhett’s bed, the butterflies in his stomach flying around restlessly. He sat on the bed watching Rhett took off his jacket.

“What?” Rhett asked when he noticed Link’s gaze on himself.

“Nothing” Link answered, “I just can’t believe you are mine.”

He smiled devilishly, as he took off his own jacket, mimicking Rhett.

“And you are mine” Rhett walked towards the bed as well, pushing Link down to the mattress.

Link giggled stupidly as Rhett ran his hands appreciatively over Link’s body, tugging his fingers under his shirt and pulling it up. Link lifted his upper body so that Rhett can pull off his shirt completely.

Rhett’s hands were hot on his bare chest and Link let the sensation take over his whole body. He lifted his head up and kissed him with all he had to offer, tongue grazing against the wet heat of Rhett’s.

Rhett stripped off of his own shirt easily, barely loosing contact with Link’s mouth.

Rhett slowly made his way down on Link’s body, his lips nibbling at Link’s neck, leaving small bite marks around his collarbone but always smoothing them over with soft kisses afterwards.

His own hands were on Rhett’s shoulders, fingers digging deep into the skin; while Rhett’s hands were undoing the button of Link’s trousers. He then snapped the elastic band of Link’s underwear with a small pop, raising his eyebrows suggestively at Link. Link nodded, lifting his hip, allowing Rhett to strip him off of his pants and underwear. As Rhett tried to pull down his pants Link kept wriggling underneath him, sometimes even kicking Rhett involuntarily.

“Sorry, sorry. I’m just…”

“Clumsy I know.” Rhett finished the sentence for him, smiling reassuringly.

Link was now fully naked and felt quite self-aware. Exposing himself like this to someone felt … weird. He trusted Rhett and wanted him to touch him like this, yet he also knew he needed to stop overthinking to enjoy it fully. So he said:

“You … you take yours off too.”

He didn’t mean to sound patronizing however, he needed an equal play field to continue. He blamed his mental health for it.

Rhett just smiled at him, understandingly, and proceed to take off all of his own clothes as well.

This was the first time Link was seeing Rhett stark naked.

And he liked what he saw.

He was beautiful.

With the fabric layers out of the way, Link could feel Rhett’s warmth more on his body.

Rhett started sliding his hands up and down on his legs, only just brushing against Link half-hard cock but never fully touching it. Link threw his head back into the pillow and let Rhett tease him like that. Rhett’s hands were slow and they never made it around his cock, which was agonizing. But Link was enjoying it nevertheless. He gasped when he felt the warmth of Rhett’s hand on his cock.

“Oh my..” he began but couldn’t finish his thoughts when Rhett started curling his hand around his dick and squeezing it gently.

“I know, baby, I know” Rhett whispered back, leaning on top of Link’s body once more.

He settled onto him, legs on either side of Link’s hips, his hand still curled around his dick. Rhett started rolling his hips and rubbing against Link’s skin. Link moaned even more as he started rocking his body to the pace of Rhett’s.

“You like that huh?” Rhett asked, voice hoarse.

“Mmmhhh” Link couldn’t form sentences at the moment.

Rhett proceeded to close his fingers around both of their dicks, stroking them slowly, taking his time. He was slicking precome all over their thighs and stomachs as he moved their bodies simultaneously, but Link was in no mood to complain.

Link rolled himself forward, fucking himself into Rhett’s hand, drunk on the idea of coming with Rhett. He gasped even louder but Rhett did not quicken his strokes.

“Rhett” he whined, desperate for more.

“Shhhhhh” Rhett hushed him, brushing Link’s hair with his other hand.

Link’s hands were curled into the bedding and his cheeks were flushed. Rhett occasionally tightened his grip on their dicks making Link shut his eyes and claw even further into the bedding.

Link’s back arched off of the bed, eyes still shut, gasping as he come all over his stomach and Rhett’s hand. Rhett continued shushing him and placing small kisses on his neck through his orgasm.

Then, Rhett was coming. His breath was hot against Link’s body and his grip on Link’s hair had tightened. This time, Link was the one to kiss all over his flushed face. After he was done, Rhett rolled off of Link to lie next to him.

“I love you” Link whispered into the darkness.

“I love you too.” Rhett mumbled, panting.

Link turned to his side to face him.

“This was … incredible.”

“You haven’t seen anything yet.” Rhett answered with a wink.

Link nuzzled into the crook of Rhett’s neck and breathed him in.

“We have time.”

Rhett laughed making the bed wobble.

The sweat and drying come all over their skin were rather uncomfortable.

“Is it always going to be this messy though?” He asked, not being able to shush the cleaning-freak inside of him.

Rhett just kept laughing.

“I love you”

“Yes, you’ve said that already” Link smiled at him, reaching over to push a tuft of messy hair out of Rhett’s forehead.

“And I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so SO much for sticking with me and my story!
> 
> Your constant support and lovely comments helped my self-confidence tremendously. I've been so afraid to post my writings, but seeing people react so positively....
> 
> I just ... THANK YOU ♡♡♡

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! <3


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